GUTS TOUR REVIEW

Seeing her tonight is NOT a bad idea, right?

By Caroline Kawabe

In a whirlwind of teenage angst, heartbreak, and raw emotion, Olivia Rodrigo made her mark on the stage of Boston’s very own TD Garden. Performing two sold-out shows on April 1st and 2nd, Rodrigo captivated her audiences and managed to make even a massive venue feel intimate with her fans. I was lucky enough to score tickets to her Monday show, and it was truly one of the best concerts I have seen.

I started the evening at The Harp across the street from TD Garden, where I was presented with an entire menu dedicated to the “Olivia Rodrigo Pre-Show.” Upon entering, I found myself surrounded by tons of fellow eager and excited fans. Some of the menu items included: “Get Him Back! Punch,” “Bad Idea Right? Buffalo Dip,” and “Good 4 U Pretzels.” I ordered the “Get Him Back! Punch,” which was a wonderful way to kick off the evening.

Olivia Rodrigo is, without a doubt, one of my favorite artists (if not my current number-one favorite), and one of the things I love most about her music is her storytelling ability. Her lyrics are so complex and emotional that I have no choice but to be completely sucked into the world of her songs. On her most recent album, GUTS, we got to see a fun, angsty, and grunge twist to many of her songs, which, as a former emo kid, I am a huge fan of. The way she encapsulated this energy in everything from the vocals to the costumes to the dancing was what made this concert so extraordinary. Her range was demonstrated in how she went from rock to heartbreak ballad in a matter of seconds without losing any fan engagement.

She opened with her hit single “bad idea right?” which transitioned into “ballad of a homeschooled girl.” These are two of my favorites and were great openers to get the crowd excited and on their feet. By the next song, she was coming for our heartstrings as she performed an incredibly simple and emotional version of another hit single, “vampire.” Boy, was I in my feels at this concert – my girlfriends and I were on the verge of tears within minutes of the concert starting.

The show carried on, with Rodrigo playing her hits and making the audience scream, sob, and sing with each one. One of my favorites of the more upbeat songs was “love is embarrassing!” – if you’ve been on TikTok recently, you have most likely seen clips of this dance. It’s super fun, goofy, and totally embodies the energy of the song. If you haven’t seen it, I would go check it out.

Her set design is something I have not seen enough hype for. One of the standout moments of the concert was when she skyrocketed to the ceiling of the arena and soared over the audience. She was seated atop a beautiful glowing crescent moon, floating among the stars as she performed “enough for you.”

Towards the later half of the set, Rodrigo came to the front of the stage and sat down criss-cross campfire style to perform an acoustic version of “happier.” She told us the backstory of the song and how it was what prompted her now-producer and co-writer, Dan Nigro, to reach out to her. This was a song I have always loved and connected to on her album SOUR, and I am sure the rest of the audience felt the same way…it’s safe to say we were all incredibly emotional.

She finished the night with an encore performance of “good 4 u” and “get him back!” Undoubtedly, those were total crowd-pleasers and a great note to end on. I had such an amazing time at this concert, and I would 10/10 recommend seeing her live to anyone who gets the chance. I wish I could go back again and again. With that being said, I am so excited to watch Olivia’s music career evolve and hope this is the first of many times I get to watch her perform live.