On Monday, May 9th, 2022, Olivia Rodrigo graced the stage of the Coca-Cola Roxy in Atlanta, GA. The Grammy award-winning singer’s first headlining tour completely sold out. Judging by the number of fans lining the venue, Rodrigo could have sold-out venues bigger than The Coca Cola Roxy — which has a max capacity of 2650. I had asked a group of fans near the start of the line, how long they had waited, and they excitedly told me they had gotten there the previous night.
Seeing this performance is a huge benefit to die-hard fans. They get to experience a megastar in the making on a much more intimate level. The very humble singer told LA Times that her choice of venue size was because she didn’t think she “should skip any steps.” However, just days before the singer had kicked off her tour in Portland, Oregon, she had been awarded three Grammys for her debut album, Sour. Usually, one would release an album and make the tour circuit before receiving all the accolades, but she skipped a few steps in all the right ways. This is a true testament to Rodrigo’s talent as a songwriter and performer.
Before the headlining act, we were treated to UK native Holly Humberstone, who is just coming off a tour with Girl in Red and two stellar performances at Coachella. Holly just released a brilliant new single last week titled “Sleep Tight,” co-written with the 1975’s Matty Healy, which she treated the audience and had a great reception. Holly’s soft and gentle vocals mixed with clever, catchy lyrics were an amazing teaser for what was yet to come.
The general admission floor was packed shoulder to shoulder, and the once plain purple backdrop curtain now had a bright Sour logo beaming on it. The excitement was palpable. At 9:15 PM, the lights dimmed, and the crowd started screaming with excitement. We then heard a tease of the opening guitar riff of the song “Brutal” behind the curtain, and the screams increased several decibels higher. A few more guitar teases, and the curtain finally opened to reveal a dazzling prom stage setup complete with silver streamers, a disco ball, and bleachers that flanked each side of the stage.
The night was filled with hit after hit, including “driver’s license,” “déjà vu,” “happier,” as well as covers of Avril Lavigne’s hit single “Complicated” and No Doubt’s “Just A Girl.” The final song of the night, of course, was the fan-favorite, “good 4 u”. Rodrigo twirled and bounced from one side of the stage as fans sang along as loud, if not louder, than Olivia herself. There is something significantly cathartic and healing when singing your heart out to songs about heartbreak and betrayal with a group of strangers. As the night closed out, fans were enveloped in butterfly-shaped confetti that showed a sweet message printed in Rodrigo’s handwriting at a closer glance. The message said: “hope ur ok.” After that fantastic performance, I think a lot of us left more than “ok.”
