Photo by Zachary Gray
Five years after their last studio album, American rock band Paramore is back with their sixth release This Is Why and a North American tour to match.
Paramore played the first of two shows at the legendary Madison Square Garden in NYC last night with support from English rockers Bloc Party and Australian singer Genesis Owusu.
The band’s 22 song setlist spanned two hours and touched on almost every album from their two-decade career, from fan-favorites to new tracks. The trio of lead vocalist Hayley Williams, guitarist Taylor York, and drummer Zac Farro are long-time friends who have grown from playing the small stage at Vans Warped Tour to headlining arenas.
Photo by Zachary Gray
After opening with an original spoken word poem from Williams on a dark stage, Paramore launched into “You First” and “The News” from This Is Why as the stage was lit and electricity filled the air. Fans were overjoyed to see the band once again after such a long hiatus, evident by the cheers and screams throughout the first song. Williams seemed to feed off the energy, as her usual stage antics increased to non-stop dancing and high kicks that would last throughout the evening.
The show was split into three parts: the first jumping from “That’s What You Get” from 2007’s Riot! and 2009’s “Playing God” from Brand New Eyes, to “Caught in the Middle” and “Rose-Colored Boy” from 2017’s After Laughter; before tossing in “Decode” and “Last Hope” between “Running Out of Time” and “Big Man, Little Dignity” from This Is Why.
Halfway through the evening, things slowed down as the backing band left the stage to the trio as they performed “Liar” from This Is Why and “Crystal Clear” from Williams debut solo album Petals for Armor.
Jumping back into the third section of the show, the band performed “Hard Times” and “Told You So” from After Laughter as well as “Figure 8” and “Crave” from This Is Why. The band covered “Baby” from Farro’s side project HalfNoise, and didn’t forget fan-favorites “The Only Exception” and “Misery Business” before closing with “Ain’t It Fun.”
Paramore’s encore was also memorable, opening with a montage of video clips from their career projected onto the stage’s background before the trio launched into their final songs of the evening: “Still into You” and “This Is Why.”
Photo by Zachary Gray
Paramore’s North American tour continues through August 2nd in Saint Paul, MN.
June 2 / Washington, DC / Capital One Arena
June 4 / Cleveland, OH / Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse
June 5 / Indianapolis, IN / Gainbridge Fieldhouse
June 7 / Detroit, MI / Little Caesars Arena
June 8 / Scotiabank Arena / Toronto, CA
June 10 / Columbus, OH / Schottenstein Center
June 11 / Pittsburgh, PA / PPG Paints Arena
June 13 / Orlando, FL / Amway Center
June 14 / Hollywood, FL / Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
June 18 / Manchester, TN / Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival
July 6 / New Orleans, LA / Smoothie King Center
July 8 / Fort Worth, TX / Dickies Arena
July 9 / Austin, TX / Moody Center
July 11 / Houston, TX / Toyota Center
July 13 / Denver, CO / Ball Arena
July 15 / Palm Springs, CA / Acrisure Arena
July 16 / San Diego, CA / Viejas Arena
July 19 / Los Angeles, CA / Kia Forum
July 20 / Los Angeles, CA / Kia Forum
July 22 / San Francisco, CA / Chase Center
July 24 / Seattle, WA / Climate Pledge Arena
July 25 / Portland, OR / Veterans Memorial Coliseum
July 27 / Salt Lake City, UT / Vivint Smart Home Arena
July 29 / Tulsa, OK / BOK Center
August 1 / Milwaukee, WI / Fiserv Forum
August 2 / Saint Paul, MN / Xcel Energy Center
Keep up with Paramore: Website // Instagram // Twitter // YouTube
