The Kia Forum illuminated in bright purple as 3x Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter Olivia Rodrigo wraps the North America leg of her GUTS World Tour in LA this week with six sold-out nights -- four nights at the Kia Forum and two at the Intuit Dome -- starting Tuesday, August 13 through Wednesday, August 21. This is an outstanding accomplishment for a 21-year-old artist, who hails from Murieta, CA and grew up in Los Angeles.
To celebrate the 6 sold-out hometown shows, the 21-year-old artist partnered up with Complex for a pop-up shop in Los Angeles where fans could shop exclusive tour merch and get the full backstage experience. The Forum was not left behind, as the GUTS World Tour Bus Experience was parked outside in the parking lot. This experience lets fans enter the world of GUTS, where fans can explore photo ops with replica tour set pieces, see SOUR tour outfits worn by Olivia, shop and customize exclusive merch, and enter for a chance to win tour tickets.
Rodrigo knows how to please her fans as hundreds lined up with excitement. It was a sea of purple as many fans wore fun cowboy hats and cute outfits inspired by her signature style.
Opening for Olivia Rodrigo was the alternative rock band The Breeders who hit the stage at 7:30 pm. Rodrigo has a long history of celebrating legacy acts that have inspired her music. To expose her younger fans to their classic 90s rock sound is a wonderful gesture and speaks to Rodrigo’s love of music.
The last time Rodrigo played in Los Angeles was when she headlined two sold-out shows at the Greek Theater in 2022. This was during the height of the success of her 2021 debut SOUR. During this time, Rodrigo could have already filled venues like the Kia Forum but she opted for smaller venues to not cut corners and develop her stage presence. Which was a good choice since Olivia Rodrigo has become a magnetic force on stage.
The singer hit the stage around 8:30 to the rambunctious sounds of “bad idea right?” The entire venue roared with cheers and screams as they sang along to the chorus line “My brain goes, "Ah” as loud as humanly possible. The 23-song performance featured songs from her two critically acclaimed albums SOUR and GUTS. Rodrigo’s music catalog is filled with intricate ballads and youthful rock-pop tunes that are filled with witty lyrics and bombastic melodies. The lyrics especially are relatable as she often speaks on the insecurities and triumphs of love and aging. These songs are the perfect recipe for a live setting.
Olivia Rodrigo is in a league of her own. She’s not only a gifted singer-songwriter, she’s also an actress and multi-instrumentalist. Fans gasped in awe as Rodrigo played the piano for her ballad hits “Vampire,” “traitor” and the song that put her on the map “drivers license.” Goosebumps were felt as Rodrigo’s powerhouse vocals filled the venue. Not a dried eye in sight as the song “teenage dream” was accompanied by warm-hearted video montages of Rodrigo as a child which complimented the bitter-sweet theme of growing up.
Rodrigo is comfortable and charismatic on stage, throughout the night she would pause the show to wave to the crowd and have small chit-chats. The stage was set up with two runways which created an intimate atmosphere. At the beginning of the show, Rodrigo remarked on how happy she was to be back home and to sleep in her own bed. She also gave thanks for the opportunity to perform at a venue she’s visited often.
The songstress went above and beyond to make the show memorable for fans. During “Logical” she sat on a large purple crescent moon that was floating throughout the venue. It felt magical as the moon moved across the stage letting the nosebleeds seats have a nice view of the singer. Rodrigo waved and said hello to everyone as she passed by.
As a champion for women's rights, Rodrigo was accompanied by her women-fronted band and group of dancers. A portion of proceeds from ticket sales of the shows also went to her Fund 4 Good project, which supports abortion funds including Women's Reproductive Rights Assistance Project and Access Reproductive Justice. Rodrigo was the most relaxed on stage when she rocked out with her bandmates. She was not afraid to sprawl on the floor and whip her hair to the beat of the music. She occasionally would pick up her guitar and rock out along her bandmates. The show was filled with funky choreographed dances, costume changes, the occasional confetti blasts and interesting in-your-face camera shots that embraced her fun personality.
Rodrigo has become a phenomenon and role model for the younger generations. During the encore, she appeared wearing a white tank top with the word “VOTE” scrawled across it - a nod to the elections that are happening in November. The whole venue savored the last few minutes of the show as Rodrigo finished with the bombastic hits “good 4 u” and “get him back!”
