“I don’t know if you know this, but I just turned 21,” Olivia Rodrigo told the audience at the opening show of her 2024 tour Friday night. (They knew.) “I’m so fucking excited. It's a big birthday. I went to a gas station the other day and bought a pack of cigarettes and a case of beer. I promised not to consume it, but I bought it just because I could.” There was no mention of what kind of double action she had taken after her salesperson gave her her card and flipped through the most famous driver's license in pop culture history.
Introducing 'Teenage Dream', a song he wrote when he was 19, Rodrigo told the story of how he entered the realm of am/pm impulse buying, and by the sound of the lyrics, he found himself wondering if he had already passed. She was in her prime (this is a question that probably comes up more among child stars than among teenagers in general), but she told the crowd at Palm Springs' Acrisure Arena that two years later, she no longer gets caught up in these feelings. to. “I think in the end, growing up isn’t so scary and life gets a little better.” We all want to grab a beer or something… I'm going to imitate it anyway.
There were many reasons why Rodrigo turned into a wacky optimist after writing that troubled song. Her “Her Driver's License” brought her as close to sensationalism as possible in her pop, literally overnight. Her first album, 'Sour', was her instant-classic debut and was widely acclaimed, at least in optimist circles, and her follow-up album, 2023's 'Guts', might just be five percent better than that. (She's no longer tied to the TV show that seemed to have fueled some of her insecurities in her own early work.) Why does she feel anxious? Well, first of all, for the sake of bad boys and troubling social expectations, the twins torture themselves with animated films from “Vampire” to “Pretty Doesn't Pretty.” But her infectiously dizzying stage show is about joy, not cruelty.
Olivia Rodrigo performs on stage for the kickoff of the GUTS World Tour at Acrisure Arena in Palm Springs, California on February 23, 2024.
Christopher Falk of Penske Media
By the way, it's a rock and roll show. Even though the season is short, this is probably the best rock tour we have all year long. Rodrigo's album has to some extent her alternating between pop-punk thrashers and ballads, which is a bit of a shock to the few who still listen to the album in stride. But in a concert setting, louder, brash material will be front and backloaded. So are there any shows that start with “Bad Idea, right?” And “Ballad of a Homeschooled Girl” ends with the brass knuckles of “Brutal,” “Obsessed,” “All-American Bitch,” “Good 4 U” and “Get Him Back!” There's a lot to be said about the ballad fireworks that made the middle section of the show more seductive and quiet, but it will be remembered by all in attendance for the fireworks ignited by the electric guitar.
It should be mentioned that even though Rodrigo has added some of the tropes of a pop show since his fully introductory tour in 2022, it still feels like a rock show. Her five musicians and two backing singers are now joined by eight dancers. It's an inclusive ensemble that represents the women, adding a nice spice to the show without making the choreography feel overwhelming. There's a moment of Busby Berkeley with the leggy octet surrounding a reclining Rodrigo, filmed with an overhead camera for the big screen behind him. They play while looking into a personal mirror shaped like a giant lollipop during “Pretty Doesn’ Pretty,” the most message-heavy song of the night. But overall, their dance routines aren't overly high-concept or exhausting. They're fast-moving grace notes, ghosting the stage at such regular intervals that it always feels like a delight when they reappear to add a bit of visual poetry or when they break out of formation entirely to bring the party.
Olivia Rodrigo performs on stage for the kickoff of the GUTS World Tour at Acrisure Arena in Palm Springs, California on February 23, 2024.
Christopher Falk of Penske Media
It's not a show that would remotely benefit from costume changes or large-scale production elements, but there are enough of them to prevent any chance of it becoming visually stale. Speaking of which, one of the biggest productions comes when Rodrigo flies around the perimeter of the arena floor on a floating quarter moon for “Logical” and “Enough for You.” Her stars come down from her rafters as she takes her moonlit flight, but no matter how great the cost of that undertaking for her, it feels like something you'd see in a particularly well-crafted ballroom. This is a lovely example of analog appeal.
Olivia Rodrigo performs on stage for the kickoff of the GUTS World Tour at Acrisure Arena in Palm Springs, California on February 23, 2024.
Christopher Falk of Penske Media
Rodrigo is at a young stage in his career where he can perform almost every song he has ever released and still keep his performance time at an economical and just-right 95 minutes. Unlike the 2022 tour, there is no cover at all. (At Acrisure Arena, she wore an “I'm just a girl” T-shirt for the encore, conjuring up memories of when the No Doubt song of that name was included on a previous tour.) The set was probably just for online chatter. It's a surprising choice, but it's hard to blame her for being satisfied with her own material when she delivers one of the best one-two album punches of the century. All 12 songs from the “Guts” standard edition were broadcast, as well as the eerie bonus track “Obsessed” for 13 lucky people.Day. 9 of the 11 songs from 'Sour' were also performed, giving the performance a somewhat generous and compact feel.
Among the highlights, which aren't just a tight rock band played by a great singer, Rodrigo had a great duo moment where he leaned in on the bass player and emphasized just how low-key “Sick of Myself” was in every way. During “Favorite Crime,” she sat cross-legged next to her acoustic guitar picker. The latter song was her debut album's secret weapon. Just as “Lacy” is the sleeper of the latest releases, both songs are vaguely subdued acoustic numbers that rise unexpectedly skyward with unexpected harmonies in the chorus. . This beauty didn't feel like it would fit in the sky in a stadium setting.
“This song means a lot to me,” Rodrigo said before “Teenage Dream,” and had a lot to say about the song’s origins on stage, beyond adding video footage of his appearances at pre-teen shows. I don't take the time. -Business aspirant. Worst of all, she made no attempt to inform the tour audience of what was hidden behind some of the songs, which were becoming the subject of online speculation. “Lacy” remained as glamorous and secretive as ever. It was interesting that in the setlist she gave a stark, dramatic rendition of “The Grudge” right after her “Déjà vu,” which may or may not have had anything to do with the story behind the film. Previous hits. Does the juxtaposition convey some kind of message, or is it just a coincidence? Maybe she'll never tell.
But that doesn't mean she wasn't interested in attracting an enthusiastic audience, as Rodrigo noted that she grew up not far away in Temecula. She was almost considered her hometown crowd. At one point she surveyed her audience. Did anyone go on her first date at Acrisure Arena? (The screen above her head briefly turns into a kiss cam.) And: “I see you screaming, is there anyone here with my dad? That's sweet. My dad was here and he was walking around and he said he saw him 'thinking about dad'. Yes? She wore a shirt. So, if that’s you, I think it’s pretty cool.”
Olivia Rodrigo performs on stage for the kickoff of the GUTS World Tour at Acrisure Arena in Palm Springs, California on February 23, 2024.
Christopher Falk of Penske Media
She also asked if anyone was attending the first concert and again there was a loud bang. Some of these people may have lied or been misunderstood. The crowd was young, but not young enough to be average for a “Baby's First Arena Show.” But yes. Surely that was true for at least some of the crowd…
And to those young people we say: You are officially spoiled. Not many future performances will feature world-class talent in the flowering of preternatural youth. They are equally talented in the fields of singing, songwriting, self-improvement, and the art of rocking out. It's all downhill from here, kids.