Olivia Rodrigo’s highly anticipated Guts World Tour officially kicked off in Palm Springs on February 23 and I was fortunate enough to see this iconic opening night live. Upon getting to the venue, I was greeted with seas of purple, Doc Martens boots, and copycat outfits from music videos. Everybody was buzzing about what Rodrigo would be wearing and singing. Even dads and boyfriends were pondering about the matter all while being decked out in Rodrigo’s merch.
All eyes have been on Rodrigo since her debut in 2021 with “drivers license”. The singer, who was just 17 years old at the time, quickly outgrew her Disney Channel beginnings and is now a highly respected and loved pop star. Her debut album Sour went on to win three Grammys and her sophomore album Guts would later be nominated for six. While Rodrigo may be known for her tear-jerking ballads, the release of Guts has successfully turned her from being a heartbroken teenager to a chic rockstar. Guts features scream-worthy songs like “all-american bitch” but also stays true to Rodrigo’s signature heartbreaking lyricism like that in “teenage dream”. Following the release of Guts, Rodrigo has gained much more popularity, which has allowed her to upgrade from theaters to arenas. In my opinion, Rodrigo was always capable of selling out arenas and the performance I saw proves just that.
After the talented opener, Chappell Roan, finished her set, the stage was lit up with life-like purple candles that spelled out “GUTS”. This was just the beginning of breathtaking visuals that would take place throughout the night. Fans noticed the candles beginning to melt which signified a clever and effective way to amp up the excitement to when Rodrigo would be hitting the stage. As soon as the candles fell the lights went off and screams of excitement filled the venue. Visuals of Rodrigo running from backstage to onstage played and with a simple knock sound effect, fans knew the opening song would be “bad idea right?”.
Rodrigo’s discography is a rollercoaster of emotions, but she managed to flawlessly transition the show through several outfit changes. I knew Rodrigo was talented after she sang a studio-adjacent version of her song “making the bed” whilst lying down, but perhaps her main talent of the night was being able to change from fishnets to black sheer tights so quickly. My favorite outfit of the night was her fourth, a sexy red sequin bodysuit paired with star tights and black Doc Martens boots.
When I say that there were no dull moments in the night, I mean it. Rodrigo is obviously having the time of her life as she dances all over the stage and rocks out on her guitar. When a room’s energy is that electric, there is no choice but to dance and sing along. The inclusion of backup dancers and even some personal choreography during “love is embarrassing” just added to the show’s fun. Perhaps the most jaw-dropping gimmick of the night was when Rodrigo sang “logical” and “enough for you” perched on a giant crescent moon that moved above and around the venue.
Rodrigo managed to sing a total of 22 songs off of her discography and missed no songs from Guts. She even sang an unreleased track titled “obsessed” which die-hard fans were ecstatic to hear live instead of from their vinyls. However, with this action-packed setlist, I personally thought there were not enough moments for fan interactions. However, she did say hellos and collected gifts from fans in the pit whilst walking off stage.
It is safe to say that voices were lost and guts were spilled all over the floor. I am a huge fan of Rodrigo’s music but also of her down-to-earth personality. In a moment of admiring the crowd, Rodrigo stated that she could not believe that a girl from Temecula, California was getting to play in front of a crowd of 11,000 people. Rodrigo’s music perfectly captures what it is like to be so hopelessly heartbroken and what pressures many girls in today’s society must face and for that, she is a role model to many. If there is any way you can score tickets to Rodrigo’s tour, I hope that I have convinced you to drop any amount of money to see this pop-punk princess yourself (not to mention a portion of ticket sales go to nonprofits that support women’s education and health!). It may sound crazy, but I have already started plotting how I can revisit this perfect night in another city.