Live Review: Olivia Rodrigo at MSG April 8

Stepping into the hallowed halls of Madison Square Garden, a venue overflowing with fans, was the perfect setting for Olivia Rodrigo’s GUTS tour. The pop princess turned angst-fueled rocker held nothing back, delivering a powerhouse performance that was a testament to her growth as an artist and the raw power of youthful defiance.

Opening for Rodrigo, The Breeders stormed the stage with raw, infectious energy. Their signature blend of crunchy guitar riffs and Kim Deal’s playfully sardonic vocals created a whirlwind of alternative rock nostalgia.  Kelley Deal’s driving bass lines and Jim Macpherson’s pounding drums brought a visceral punch to their iconic hits, while their newer material showcased their enduring experimental streak. Theirs was a performance that felt explosive, a testament to the enduring power of their distinctive, off-kilter sound that has inspired and delighted fans for decades. The act while not catering to the younger crowd felt like a reward for all the parents who had brought their children.

The backdrop led screen projected candles with the word GUTS with flames on each letter that slowly burned getting lower and lower to signify the start of the show. The anticipation crackled as the opening notes of “Bad Idea Right?” filled the arena, the extended outro serving as an electric overture that sent the crowd into a frenzy. This energy only intensified with “Ballad of a Homeschooled Girl.”

“Vampire,” a Billboard top 100 song was belted out by the teen crowd to such a degree, one could almost not hear the artist herself. “Traitor” followed, evoking Rodrigo’s emotive vocals that cut through the arena. The extended outro of “Traitor” built into an anguished wail that reverberated around the room.

As a driving force, she played “Drivers license” on a piano that magically rose from the stage covered in smoke, ominously making the piano look as though it was floating. The transformation from a child to an adult was most striking during “Teenage Dream.” Rodrigo explained the song was not meant as melancholy but as an anthem for the future saying “To my 18 year old self that growing up is fucking awesome.” The set flowed smoothly into “Pretty Isn’t Pretty,” the track’s ferocious energy electrifying the arena, before she tore into the pulsating rhythms of “Love is Embarrassing,” her extended dance break a whirlwind of pure attitude.

With the extended intro to “Making the Bed,” the tempo shifted, and the vastness of MSG became suddenly intimate under the gentle glow of her moon-shaped prop as she rode around the arena high above the crowd. Her delivery of “Logical” and “Enough for You,” perched atop the ethereal crescent moon that shadowed the day’s lunar eclipse, was heartbreakingly beautiful. The quiet power of her voice, now honed and mature, filled every corner of the space.

With a burst of vibrant energy, “Lacy” reignited the night. Rodrigo, who showed her devotion to her fans, acknowledged a fan’s birthday in the crowd and led an abridged rendition of “Happy Birthday.”  “Jealousy, Jealousy” followed, a scathing anthem for the social media age that hit even harder in the context of the sold-out arena.  “Can’t Catch Me Now” served as a defiant declaration of self-assuredness.

The sheer explosive force of “Happier” was a highlight, the crowd belting back the words with the same ferocity she projected. The vengeful ache of  “Favorite Crime” and the extended outro of “Deja Vu,” a slow-burning lament, showcased the sheer versatility of her songwriting.

Then came “The Grudge,” delivered with such intensity that it felt born out of her very core, was both unexpected and utterly brilliant. This bled seamlessly into a shortened but high energy rendition of “Brutal,” the crowd mirroring her wild energy. The manic “Obsessed” and “all-american bitch”  closed out the main set, their frenzied extended outro leaving the audience reeling and craving more.

Her encore started with a blistering “Good 4 U,” the pop-punk anthem feeling even more triumphant in the stadium setting. The catharsis of screaming its lyrics back at her alongside thousands of others was undeniable. Her final song, “Get Him Back!” felt like a battle cry. The extended outro morphed into a triumphant roar, a declaration of resilience that echoed long after the final note faded.

Olivia Rodrigo, standing on the same stage as giants of music history, felt like a watershed moment. Her GUTS tour was about more than a killer setlist and dynamic stage presence. It was a visceral testament to the raw, messy emotions of growing up. She channeled heartbreak, rage, and defiance into a performance as cathartic for the audience as it likely was for herself.  This was not just pop stardom, this was rock n’ roll in its purest, most exhilarating form.

Setlist

1. Bad idea right? (extended outro)
2. Ballad of a homeschooled girl
3. Vampire
4. Traitor (extended outro)
5. Drivers license
6. Teenage dream (spoken intro; extended outro)
7. Pretty isn’t pretty
8. Love is embarrassing (extended dance break outro)
9. Making the bed(extended intro)
10. Logical (on moon)
11. Enough for you (on moon)
12. Lacy
13. Jealousy, jealousy
14. Can’t Catch Me Now
15. Happier
16. Favorite crime
17. Deja vu (extended outro)
18. The grudge
19. Brutal (extended intro, shortened)
20. Obsessed (extended outro)
21. all-american bitch(extended intro;

Encore:

22. Good 4 u (extended outro)
23. Get him back! (extended outro)