The Guts Tour showed off Rodrigo's two albums, Guts and Sour, both released in the span of just three years. Shooting her to fame in 2021, Sour spent over fifty non-consecutive weeks in the top ten on the Billboard 200 chart. It all began with the single "Driver's License," which won Rodrigo Best Pop Solo Performance at the 2022 Grammys and won over the hearts of teenage girls everywhere.
Before that, Rodrigo broke into the musical world as Nini on the Disney+ series High School Musical: The Musical: The Series. Her on- and off-screen romance with co-star Joshua Basset gave Rodrigo's song "Driver's License," off Sour, the perfect touch of personal drama to have the online world reeling, transporting her to a level of fame most musicians can only dream of.
That fame only got bigger with her sophomore album, Guts, which was released last year. It has a vibe similar to Sour's, maintaining the same themes and continuing Rodrigo's modern-day Avril Lavigne aesthetic while further exploring rock inflections.
The Ball Arena concert was a celebration of Rodrigo and her success in less than five years of releasing music outside of Disney, and paid homage to the fans who have made it possible. While she's no Taylor Swift, her fans are cut from the same cloth. They wait outside in long lines for merch, they dress up in fantastic outfits and costumes, they take the personal drama behind the songs seriously, and they paid a fuck-ton to be there.
The concert didn't disappoint, though. Here are five takeaways from Olivia Rodrigo's Guts Tour:
These Olivia Rodrigo fans made their own outfits to wear to the tour. Their sashes reference Rodrigo's "Obsessed" music video.
Katrina Leibee
Before I even went into the concert, there were tons of things getting fans excited outside of the arena. If you didn't want to stand in one of the long lines for tour T-shirts, you could head over to the bedazzling station and decorate your shoes, clothes, or even your skin with jewels and sparkles. You may have also headed over to the letter-writing tent, where fans could write a letter to Olivia or write one to keep for themselves and remember the experience.
Fans who weren't writing or working on arts and crafts were taking pictures outside Rodrigo's tour bus or were inside one just for the fans, decorated with a neon purple sign reading, "bad idea right?". Fans had lots of memories to capture, too. They showed up and showed out with homemade outfits, sparkly skirts, shirts that referenced many of the pop star's lyrics, and lots and lots of purple.
Rodrigo Had Fans Hooked for the Full Show
After a sleepy introduction to the show with PinkPantheress — who walked around the stage to her tracks in Uggs acting as if it was a sound check — fans were ready for Rodrigo to bring the energy. And she delivered.
The 21-year-old pop princess's songs are well known for their intros. It was easy to tell which songs she was starting, and just the first note of one of said songs sent fans into a screaming fit, whether it was the opening bass notes of "Good 4 u" from Sour, or the guitar riff of "all-American bitch." It didn't seem to matter which song she was singing: Fans were shakily recording the singer's every move, and the energy stayed consistent the entire time. The girl next to me, who flew from North Dakota to see the show for her sixteenth birthday, danced and sang the words to every song with her hands over her heart, her eyes not leaving Rodrigo for a moment. Once Rodrigo took the stage in her sparkly outfit, fans were completely starstruck for the next hour and a half.
The Microphone Was a Suggestion, Not a Necessity
While Olivia Rodrigo certainly has the vocal chops to sing her songs live, and she absolutely brought those vocals out for the show, the audience took the reins for many of the songs. Rodrigo proved that if you're able to write honestly about teenage girls' experiences dealing with jealousy, first-time heartbreak and self-criticism, you don't need much else.
During "Driver's License," a single spotlight shined on her and the piano as she sang honestly about the feeling of being haunted by the places and memories of relationships past. At the peak of the song, the bridge, the audience nearly drowned out Rodrigo completely.
At one point during the show, she sat on the stage next to guitarist Daisy Spencer. With just her voice and an acoustic guitar, the crowd was still in the palm of her hand. She sang "Favorite Crime," a popular tune from Sour. I had to put my earplugs in to avoid damage while the audience screamed, "All the things I did, just so I could call you mine." Olivia could have held the mic to the audience the entire time and let them sing the song; the experience almost would have been the same.
An All-Female Band for a Female-Centered Experience
Rodrigo's pop-rock anthems call for a band with the skills to deliver on all of the hooks and melodies that make her songs addictive to fans. Her all-female band, whom Rodrigo introduced by name, brought that and more to the show.
With so many songs focused on women's experiences and stories, and the crowd being mostly filled with young girls as well, it only made sense that her stage would be filled with women. Her dancers and her openers for the tour, Pink Pantheress, Chappell Roan, the Breeders and Remi Wolf, are also all women. Rodrigo wasn't afraid to put the no-boys-allowed sign on stage, giving the platform to up-and-coming female artists.
Rodrigo and the band leaned into outlandish dance moves and facial expressions, as well, making the audience feel like we'd just intruded on a slumber party or girls' night out, where everyone is being their authentic selves.
The Production Was Relatively Simple
For a majority of the show, a single spotlight shined on Rodrigo as she sang a song. There were no fireworks, there were relatively few props, and the most intense part of the production was when she flew around the arena on a moon, singing directly to the upper-level crowds for some of her slower songs.
Aside from that and a few songs where the dancers accompanied the singer, she was the star and the energy, with not much else happening around her. The singer proved the same thing that many singer-songwriters, most recently Noah Kahan at Fiddler's Green, have before: When the fans are there to scream the songs that they relate to, you don't need a fancy stage or a giant production. Just your voice and a guitar will do.
While Olivia Rodrigo certainly has the vocal chops to sing her songs live, and she absolutely brought those vocals out for the show, the audience took the reins for many of the songs. Rodrigo proved that if you're able to write honestly about teenage girls' experiences dealing with jealousy, first-time heartbreak and self-criticism, you don't need much else.
During "Driver's License," a single spotlight shined on her and the piano as she sang honestly about the feeling of being haunted by the places and memories of relationships past. At the peak of the song, the bridge, the audience nearly drowned out Rodrigo completely.
At one point during the show, she sat on the stage next to guitarist Daisy Spencer. With just her voice and an acoustic guitar, the crowd was still in the palm of her hand. She sang "Favorite Crime," a popular tune from Sour. I had to put my earplugs in to avoid damage while the audience screamed, "All the things I did, just so I could call you mine." Olivia could have held the mic to the audience the entire time and let them sing the song; the experience almost would have been the same.
Rodrigo's band comprised bass player Moa Munoz, guitarist Emily Rosenfield, guitarist Daisy Spencer, drummer Hayley Brownell, and Camila Mora on keys.
Ross Jones
Rodrigo's pop-rock anthems call for a band with the skills to deliver on all of the hooks and melodies that make her songs addictive to fans. Her all-female band, whom Rodrigo introduced by name, brought that and more to the show.
With so many songs focused on women's experiences and stories, and the crowd being mostly filled with young girls as well, it only made sense that her stage would be filled with women. Her dancers and her openers for the tour, Pink Pantheress, Chappell Roan, the Breeders and Remi Wolf, are also all women. Rodrigo wasn't afraid to put the no-boys-allowed sign on stage, giving the platform to up-and-coming female artists.
Rodrigo and the band leaned into outlandish dance moves and facial expressions, as well, making the audience feel like we'd just intruded on a slumber party or girls' night out, where everyone is being their authentic selves.
The Production Was Relatively Simple
For a majority of the show, a single spotlight shined on Rodrigo as she sang a song. There were no fireworks, there were relatively few props, and the most intense part of the production was when she flew around the arena on a moon, singing directly to the upper-level crowds for some of her slower songs.
Aside from that and a few songs where the dancers accompanied the singer, she was the star and the energy, with not much else happening around her. The singer proved the same thing that many singer-songwriters, most recently Noah Kahan at Fiddler's Green, have before: When the fans are there to scream the songs that they relate to, you don't need a fancy stage or a giant production. Just your voice and a guitar will do.
See photos from the show below:
Before Rodrigo sang "Vampire" in front of a red moon, she pointed out a fan dressed as a vampire for the show.
Ross Jones
Rodrigo rocked out on stage with her band, playing electric and acoustic guitar during the show.
Ross Jones
Check out the other artists coming to Ball Arena this year.
