The 9 best moments from Olivia Rodrigo’s first Forum show

As a long-time follower of Olivia Rodrigo and a fellow Southern California native, witnessing her hometown show at Inglewood’s Kia Forum was truly a memorable experience. It was like stepping back into the vibrant energy of my own teenage years, filled with the same passion, excitement, and nostalgia that her music evokes.

“Hometown show, baby — it’s very, very special.”

On Tuesday evening, it was Olivia Rodrigo performing at Inglewood’s Kia Forum, just beginning one of six shows in the L.A. area. These performances mark the conclusion of the U.S. tour segment for her globally successful “Guts” album.

Since the tour began in February, with the bustling pop music scene heating up in summer featuring artists like Chappell Roan, Sabrina Carpenter, and Charli XCX, it’s understandable that Rodrigo’s activities might have slipped our minds. As she mentioned on Tuesday, they spent nearly two and a half months in Europe, enjoying wine in France and pasta in Italy.

However, the boisterous concert-goers at the Forum – a place where the 21-year-old from Temecula used to attend shows growing up – found themselves with an excellent chance to greet her return.

“L.A., you guys are gonna make me blush up here,” she said.

Here are nine highlights from the concert:

As a moviegoer reviewing Rodrigo’s arena debut, I must say that she started off with an impressive bang by performing one of her top singles, “Bad Idea Right?” with a clever twist. However, this was just the tip of the iceberg as Rodrigo boldly unveiled a daring opening act, cramming two of her three chart-topping hits – “Vampire” and “Drivers License” – into the show’s initial 20 minutes. The nü-metal breakdown she added to “Bad Idea Right?” was merely the cherry on top of this thrilling introduction.

2. On Tuesday, among the notable attendees were Tobey Maguire, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, and Adam Sandler. It was Adam Sandler who, during “Good 4 U,” took out his phone to record his daughters and their friends belting it out with Rodrigo. (His basketball shorts added a touch of endearing fatherly vibes.) In the same venue: Lucian Grainge, head of Universal Music Group.

3. While “Guts” still retains its share of theater-kid ballads, it delves more into classic pop-punk and alternative rock compared to Rodrigo’s 2021 debut album “Sour”. In this release, she sequenced the tracks that have a strong ’90s vibe together, almost as if we were attending a Lush concert and listening to “Pretty Isn’t Pretty” right after “Love Is Embarrassing”.

5. In the heat of “Jealousy, Jealousy,” Rodrigo made his way among the audience, greeting fans and taking selfies with those up front. One enthusiastic fan even touched the singer’s waist – a gesture that was promptly interrupted by a security guard. The embarrassed fan’s reaction, captured on camera and broadcast onto the big screen at the back of the stage, seemed to encapsulate the complexities of fandom in today’s pop culture era, where fans feel a sense of intimacy with their idols.

5. Recently, Rodrigo has included “So American” in her performances since the tour began. This energetic neo-new wave track is found on the deluxe version of “Guts,” and she performed it at the Forum with a little anecdote about the joy of coming back from Europe and indulging in an In-N-Out burger on the way home from LAX. A tribute to her love for America!

6. During Tuesday’s performance, Rodrigo’s headbanging sometimes overshadowed her singing, but when she hit her peak, she proved herself to be one of the most intense and precise vocalists of her generation. However, “The Grudge,” a piano ballad that could potentially refer to her complex relationship with Taylor Swift, was so powerful that it alone made you remember her exceptional talent.

“One hidden skill I excel at is navigating Instagram Direct Messages (DMs),” Rodrigo casually mentioned from her crossed-legged position on the stage, beside her guitarist. She further disclosed that she’s connected with numerous individuals, including some potential romantic interests, through DMs – although she admitted that some of these connections were a bit dubious, so perhaps not the best illustration. However, she also met her closest friend and her reliable producer, Dan Nigro, via DMs. He reached out to her after she posted a snippet of her song “Happier” on Instagram.”

8. The clear statement that Rodrigo displayed on his white T-shirt during the show’s finale: “CAST YOUR VOTE.”

9. Rodrigo initially toured with Roan, a fellow collaborator in Nigro, as her opening act. This collaboration might have ignited what’s now known as Chappellmania. For these L.A. shows, she has enlisted The Breeders, an accomplished alternative rock band known for their 1993 album “Last Splash,” which still packs a surprising punch with its unusual intensity. Last year, Rodrigo expressed that the song “Cannonball” from this album was like a life-changing experience for her, dividing her life into ‘before I heard it’ and ‘after I heard it.’ The Breeders, led by twin sisters Kim and Kelley Deal, delivered an energetic performance at their show on Tuesday, playing at such a high volume that even the Gen X parents waiting outside the Forum for their children might have appreciated it.

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2024-08-15 00:01