Going to an Olivia Rodrigo concert is never a bad idea, right?
The GUTS World Tour stopped in Boston April 1-2 with two sold-out shows that graced TD Garden with a cathartic rock experience that had fans screaming their guts out.
Rodrigo rose to fame as a Disney Channel actress, first appearing on “Bizaardvark” and then appearing on “High School Musical: The Musical: The Series” as Nini. From there she released her first single in January 2021, “drivers license” which flew to the top of the charts. She later released her first album, “SOUR” in May 2021. In September 2023, Rodrigo released her sophomore album “GUTS.”
Rodrigo’s setlist consisted of five outfit changes, 13 songs from her alternative pop album “GUTS,” 10 from her alternative rock album “SOUR” and her original song “Can’t Catch Me Now” from “The Hunger Games: Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes.”
Rodrigo came on stage in a gorgeous silver sparkly two-piece with black fishnets and her Doc Martens as her first outfit of the night and opened the show with three songs from “GUTS,” “bad idea right?,” “ballad of a homeschooled girl” and “vampire.” Rodrigo ditched her traditional vocals and joined the crowd in yelling her lyrics, head banging and jumping around the stage during her angsty rock songs.
Rodrigo played “traitor” and “drivers license” from “SOUR” before bringing her piano on stage for the most emotional performance of the night with “teenage dream.”
Rodrigo told the crowd she wrote this song a few days before her 19th birthday when she was dreading growing up. Now, at 21, she tells the crowd it’s something to welcome and be excited for.
On the screen at the back of the stage, a video was played of young Olivia. The combination of the emotions in the room and Rodrigo’s lyrics brought fans to tears.
Back on stage in a delicate black bralette and high-waisted spandex, Rodrigo brought out her background dancers for a passionate performance of “pretty isn’t pretty.”
“Love is embarrassing” came with quirky choreography but for “making the bed” Rodrigo was lying on an elevated portion of the stage. The juxtaposition of Rodrigo lying on the stage and rolling over as she sang the song made the lyrics come to life. It perfectly represents the emotions you feel while listening to this track.
For “logical” and Rodrigo’s favorite “SOUR” track, “enough for you,” she added a latex dress over her black two-piece outfit and floated around the arena on a purple crescent-shaped moon, waving to everyone as she went by their sections. In between songs she talked to the fans for a moment, making it such an intimate aspect of the show.
When Rodrigo was back on the stage, she sang “lacy” with her dancers donning long silky pink ribbons in their hair as props for the intricate and graceful choreography.
After singing another alternative rock song, “jealousy, jealousy,” Rodrigo paused and asked the crowd, “Is anyone here a fan of ‘The Hunger Games?’” She then sang her ballad that was featured in “The Hunger Games” movie released last year.
Rodrigo invited her guitarist and longtime friend Daisy Spencer to join her at the front of the stage to sit and sing “happier” and “favorite crime.” Rodrigo went back to center stage to sing “deja vu” and “the grudge.”
Rodrigo left for an outfit change and came back in a shimmering red one-piece and black tights with sparkly stars for her next few up-tempo songs.
By the time Rodrigo was ready to perform “brutal,” the crowd was amped up in anticipation of the encore that was coming up and screamed their guts out to track one of “SOUR.”
Rodrigo sang “obsessed” next, the most anticipated song of the night. On the opening night of the tour, Rodrigo performed this song before it was released on streaming. A few more weeks into the tour Rodrigo released it as part of the “GUTS” deluxe album, “GUTS (spilled).”
In the middle of the song, Rodrigo stood and sang over a portion of the stage with a camera underneath it. The incredible and strategic choreography is a side of Rodrigo we haven’t seen before and shows how she’s matured since the start of her career.
Before heading off stage for her last outfit change, Rodrigo sang “all-american bitch” and paused after singing the line, “I scream inside to deal with it,” and says, “I want everyone in here to think about someone or something that really pisses you off and when the lights go off you’re going to scream your heart out about it!”
Back on stage in her most casual outfit of the night of bedazzled purple spandex, black tights with sparkly stars and a tiny white tank top Rodrigo hyped up the crowd again before singing the first song of the encore, another rock song from “SOUR,” “good 4 u.”For the final song of the night, Rodrigo brought out a bright red megaphone to sing the beginning of the “GUTS” song, “get him back!”
The energy Rodrigo brought to the stage has you feeling like you’re just jamming out with your best friend with the way she had fans laughing, screaming and crying together.
After two nights at Madison Square Garden, Rodrigo will bring her guts to Europe.
