The Guts World Tour - Olivia Rodrigo at Madison Square Garden
Four nights straight at Madison Square Garden is quite the feat for any artist, especially for an artist like Olivia Rodrigo, who released her sophomore album GUTS in late 2023. The album is filled with a mixture of hard hitters like “all-american bitch”, “bad idea right?” and “get him back!” and deep, cathartic ballads like “vampire,” “making the bed,” and “the grudge.” Given that our show was the last of the four shows in NYC, and the last show of the first US leg of her tour, we knew we were in for a special evening with Olivia.
We started off the day arriving at the venue around 4pm, given that we were VIP ticket holders - which granted us early entry into the venue, exclusive VIP merch and swag, and early access to merch shopping, all before being let into the pit. Check-in was extremely thorough and consisted of a security screening/I.D. check, as every VIP’s name was put on a specific list based on who the original ticket holder was. Long story short, if you bought a resale VIP ticket, you were not guaranteed any of the benefits that came with the ticket, like early entry.
Once VIPs were inside, every ticket holder was given a bag with a light purple hat with the word “GUTSY” on the front along with a fanny pack saying “Guts World Tour” on it. These two pieces of merch cannot be found on the website or at the merch tables at any of the venues, which was interesting to find out afterward.
Once we were ushered into the pit, we were greeted by The Breeders who put on a fantastic opening set. The band played hits from their critically acclaimed 1993 album Last Splash while also playing songs from their more recent albums. While watching The Breeders perform live, it was clear that they served as a major inspiration for Olivia’s music, both aesthetically and sonically. Olivia’s music, at times, harks back to the explosive alternative rock music of the late 90s/early 2000s, and The Breeders were one of the pioneers in kickstarting that sound.
Once Olivia took center stage at The Garden, the crowd was fully energized. Starting strong with “bad idea right?,” the second single from GUTS, Olivia Rodrigo had the entire arena jumping up and down chanting lyrics such as “Seein’ you tonight, it’s a bad idea right?,” and then went right into “ballad of a homeschooled girl,” another head-banging anthem off the new album.
The stage was constructed with two wings on each side so Olivia could work the entire room, engaging with the audience from both sides of the arena. In an effort to become closer with the audience halfway through her set, Olivia was mounted on a floating crescent moon that soared across the arena while she sang songs like “logical” and “enough for you,” which allowed those further away from Olivia to share a more intimate moment with her.
Another welcomed surprise was when Olivia introduced special guest Jewel to perform “You Were Meant For Me” with her in the middle of the set. Olivia mentioned how Jewel was a major inspiration for her growing up and that it was an honor to share the stage with such a trailblazer.
The rest of the set was filled with fun costume changes and high-energy bangers where the crowd knew every single line, which only enhanced the live experience of each song. With the last encore song, “get him back!,” Olivia came down to the pit to reach out and touch hands with all the fans lined up along the barricade. As the song’s outro played during her exit you could hear the continued roar of fans throughout the arena.
Tickets to the Guts World Tour were highly coveted. Those who were lucky enough to get a ticket, let alone an affordable one, were welcomed with a night full of glitter, dancing, and of course, a lot of purple. Olivia is continuing her European leg through May and June and will be back in the US for the rest of the summer, so be sure to snag a ticket when she comes to your area. For those needing a reason to kick and scream their frustrations away for a night, The Guts Tour is the perfect place to do so.
