Olivia Rodrigo has officially embarked on her newest tour. I have been a fan since her debut single “driver’s license” and was very impressed with her newest album, Guts. After missing out on her Sour tour, I really wanted to find myself at the Guts world tour. Luckily, spring break aligned perfectly with her second stop on the tour in Phoenix, Arizona and I found myself at the Footprint Center all alone, sitting in row 4 on the floor.
We all know the massive popularity Rodrigo gained from “driver’s license” alone. Following her release of Sour, she became a three-time Grammy winner as a teenager. And her stardom has only grown. For reference, her first concert in my home state of Michigan was at the Detroit Masonic Temple, which only has a capacity of 4,650. The Footprint Center has a capacity of roughly 16,000 persons. This is quite the jump for the now twenty-one year old, and she brought the house down regardless.
With Rodrigo being the same age as me, it really was amazing to see her clearly having so much fun with her band, dancers and the audience. The energy a young star can bring is truly exhilarating, and this was exhibited in every pop rock song she sang. From the band’s production on drums, bass and electric guitars to the crowd jumping up and down like they were at a rock concert, it was truly an experience like no other. It was also exactly what I feel like listening to some of her songs alone, like “bad idea right?” and “all-american bitch.” Rodrigo made sure she was jumping around and having fun.
Rodrigo has stellar vocals in several of her ballad songs, and all her performances of these songs made the night even more magical. She, at one point, sat on a moon while performing the songs “logical” and “enough for you.” While riding around the arena, she waved and talked to fans. I’ve always valued artists telling the stories behind some of their songs, and Rodrigo gave us a few short stories about the writing of “teenage dream” and “jealousy, jealousy.”
During the performance of “making the bed,” the crowd all lit up their phones and waved them around. It was charming to see all Rodrigo’s fans put on their own little show while singing the lyrics right back to her.
As a performer, it certainly looks like Rodrigo is living her best life and enjoying every second of her tour. Her stage presence was amazing, as she brought charisma, captured the fans’ hearts and, thanks to her backup dancers and band, put on one of the best performances I’ve seen. If you catch her on the Guts tour, she will have you rocking all night.
