Olivia Rodrigo goes bigger, bolder with Guts World Tour kickoff
Though she was relatively new when her Sour Tour sold out theaters across the country, including two evenings at the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles back in 2022, singer-songwriter Olivia Rodrigo delivered a stunning performance during her first run in L.A.
Since then, she’s gone on to win multiple Grammy Awards and perform on various late night television shows and even “Saturday Night Live.” She also dropped the follow-up to her top-selling debut album, “Sour,” releasing “Guts” on Sept. 8, 2023, which was led by the building ballad, “Vampire.”
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To support the album, Rodrigo graduated from 3,000-7,000-capacity theaters to 10,000-seat arenas on the Guts World Tour in 2024. She kicked off the jaunt with a sold-out show at Acrisure Arena in Palm Desert on Friday, Feb. 23, not far from where she grew up in Temecula and Murrieta. She even shouted out her “Riverside County sisters!”
“Welcome to the first (expletive) night of the Guts Tour,” Rodrigo told the crowd. “I want you to jump, I want you to scream, I want you to cry if you feel like crying. I’m so happy you’re here.”
She started the night with “Bad Idea Right?” off the latest record, pumping up her loyal devotees and letting them pose the question “It’s a bad idea, right?” as she pointed the mic out to the audience.
It’s been less than two years since Rodrigo’s impressive Sour Tour run, but a lot has changed for her stage show. Of course, things have gotten bigger. She now has a strong brood of backup dancers, continues to surround herself with a badass live band and the production has increased substantially.
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The visuals on a giant screen behind the band played well into set, offering some fun moments that included a scrapbook-style montage of live footage of Rodrigo and the band during “Ballad of a Homeschooled Girl.” She also rode around the arena on a giant crescent moon for the live debut of the song “Logical” and “Enough for You,” giving the fans at the back of the venue a closer peek at one of her sweet, high waisted sparkly briefs and matching bra top outfits. She’s also added numerous wardrobe changes into this tour.
The stage has grown, too, and Rodrigo knows how to use it with confidence.
She ran up and down every inch of the split catwalk that ran alongside both sides of the venue, leaving room for a smaller v-shaped pit that was filled with fans who never stopped jumping and screaming throughout the entire show. She rocked out through “Jealousy, Jealousy” and made her way down to the barrier where she spent just a few moments with fans who were cheering and grabbing at her as she inched closer.
She brought out her guitarist, Daisy Spencer, to sit down on the opposite side of the stage with her to sing two acoustic songs: “Happier” and “Favorite Crime,” allowing her vocals to soar and they floated through the arena beautifully.
Rodrigo also live debuted a “Guts” hidden track, “Obsessed,” which absolutely ripped live. She jammed it out and rolled around atop a see-through portion of the stage that had a camera fixed underneath it. The footage was cast upon the giant screen behind the band and it was a lot of fun to watch that footage along with the chaos of the song and the band thrashing through it.
She closed the show with an old song and a new song. The encore hit hard with her single “Good 4 U,” which had just about everyone on their feet, singing along. She wrapped up the first night of the Guts World Tour with “Get Him Back!” A cleverly written tune that’s not so much about taking back a loser lover, but seeking sweet, sweet revenge.
The Guts World Tour concludes with four sold-out nights at Kia Forum in Inglewood on Aug.13-14 and 16-17.
Olivia Rodrigo’s Guts World Tour
Tickets: Available on secondary seller sites starting at $249 at StubHub.com and $207 at VividSeats.com.