I have seen all of my favorite artists in concert once, maybe twice. Well, all except for one: Olivia Rodrigo.
As someone who’s been a fan of Rodrigo since her Bizaardvark days and one of her top listeners on Spotify since season one of High School Musical: The Musical: The Series, it’s a shock to me that last week’s concert marked my first time seeing her live. But don’t be fooled, that was by no means my choice. In fact, I intended to get tickets for each of her past two tours prior to the “Unravelled Tour,” but for some reason, I was never able to pull the trigger on actually getting those tickets… until now.
It all started in late June, when I was able to convince my father to purchase two pit tickets for me and my friend, who’s a student at Harvard. This was the first time I’d ever been in the pit, and so I had a mixture of emotions. I was excited because I would be close to an artist I’ve cherished for so long, but I was worried about the logistics, timing, and spacing of it all. As the time got closer, it became apparent that my friend and I would be unable to get to TD Garden early. In fact, we officially got to the pit just before the opener, Wolf Alice, took the stage.
Let me be the first to say that lining up early and being the first ones to enter really doesn’t matter. Unless you’re set on getting barricades, arrive whenever you want. The best part about a standing pit is that you have the freedom and leisure to move wherever at any point in the show. This is exactly what my friend and I did depending on what stage Rodrigo was on. We arrived an hour before Rodrigo started performing, and were still so incredibly close, especially during her two-song session of “less” and “the cure” on the B-stage.
Rodrigo opened it up with her recent hit song “drop dead.” What followed were many of her happy songs, and then the edgier ones off her second studio album, GUTS. I was really enamored by Rodrigo’s stage presence. She led the crowd so well and helped curate the energy in TD Garden, which was absolutely amazing. People were constantly jumping up and down, and the light-up bracelets only added to the unbelievable atmosphere.
The lighting and visuals also enhanced the most perfect moments of the show, and at fitting moments the music would go quiet so you could only hear the fans singing along. It was a great experience created by all involved in the production.
Even while I was getting ready for the show, I was listening to Rodrigo’s songs and felt a little emotional at the mere thought of finally hearing her songs live. As I went through the first half of the concert without shedding a tear, I thought I was doing well, but that was completely disproven when the first few notes of “cigarette smoke” started playing. On its own, the song is easily one of, if not the most devastating, in Rodrigo’s entire discography. A full six minutes long, the song features an emotional rawness and heartbreaking lyrics such as “give me back my time and I will give you back your heart,” and “you said that I made loving look easy ‘til I made it hard,” just to name a few. However, the live production of the song amplified these emotions, with smoke coating the stage, Rodrigo standing front and center while playing the guitar, and the lights dimming down.
To say my friend and I were sobbing is an understatement, and it was something I’d never done at a concert before. Sure, I let out a tear or two when seeing Harry Styles or Taylor Swift for the first time, but I’d never cried uncontrollably. I’m talking incoherently, singing along, blurred vision, uneven breaths — the whole nine yards. The entirety of the song is so devastating, but the ending where Rodrigo starts belting takes it to another level. You can so clearly feel her emotions at this raw and vulnerable time of the show.
While she transitioned into sadder songs, the setlist started containing more from her first studio album, SOUR. And while I enjoyed listening to some of my favorite songs of hers such as “purple” and “maggots for brains,” hearing the SOUR songs is what really brought me back. I remember listening to those songs on repeat in 2021. The album itself was such an integral part of my life, and to finally hear just a sliver of those songs in person was unbelievable.
But the peak moment of the concert was when Rodrigo moved over to the B-stage. It was only when the lights went back on that my friend and I realized how close we were to her. I once again felt so overcome with emotions, especially when she started performing “the cure.” You see the videos all over social media of Rodrigo singing the end of the song while rain falls onto her and melts her dress off, but seeing it in person is so much better. There’s just something about rain pouring down while thousands of people scream “the cure” that makes you realize just how incredible this concert really is.
Rodrigo and her team put together a good setlist containing a diverse mix of feelings. You had your happy songs for those who are in love, but of course you also have the gut-wrenching and downright depressing tunes. Rodrigo also brings some entertaining additions like “all american b*tch” and “expectations,” bringing the crowd to their feet if they weren’t already. Despite the unique vibes of each song, all of them were ones you could scream your heart out to.
My main takeaway is that Olivia Rodrigo is, as cliché as it sounds, just a girl who experiences the same hardships as us, but expresses them in beautifully artistic ways. The concert exhibited a sense of community, and I left TD Garden already looking forward to the next time I could see Rodrigo live. I’m not lying when I say it was the best night of my life, and I strongly urge everyone to see her at least once in their life. You will certainly not regret it.
Turns out Olivia Rodrigo really exceeded my “expectations.”
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