Fans of all ages and from all walks of life filled into the Smoothie King Center on Thursday night to see Paramore live. The last time Paramore played in New Orleans was back in July 2018 when their The After Laughter Summer Tour stopped at Champions Square. A lot has happened in the last five years. Although the band has been around for almost two decades and has been to New Orleans a few times when asked if it was anyone’s first Paramore show about 80% of the crowd raised their hands!
Opening Acts: The Linda Lindas and The Foals
The first opener, The Linda Lindas, instantly caught the crowd’s attention. The all-female rock band is comprised of Bela Salazar (18), Lucia de la Garza (16), Eloise Wong (15), and Mila de la Garza (12). Don’t let their age fool you. During their 30-minute set, the teen punk band performed songs with messages that encouraged listeners to vote and spoke out against topics like racism and sexism. They are incredibly talented and definitely a group to keep an eye out for.
After a quick intermission, the second opener, FOALS hit the stage. For 45 minutes, the British rock band performed for the crowd. Similar to Paramore, the FOALS has been around for two decades. Currently, they’re composed of lead vocalist and guitarist Yannis Philippakis, drummer and percussionist Jack Bevan, rhythm guitarist Jimmy Smith, and bassist Walter Gervers. Their setlist included “Wake Me Up” from their recent album Life Is Yours and their 2008 track, “Two Steps, Twice” from their album Antidotes. And they dedicated their performance of their song “2 AM” to the Big Easy!
Although most of the crowd seemed unfamiliar with the openers, they clapped and jumped along during both sets. And The Linda Lindas and FOALS definitely set the tone for the main event, Paramore.
Paramore’s Still Got It
At 9 p.m., the word ‘Enough’ flashed on the screen in various languages before the lights went down. Lead vocalist, Hayley Williams, skipped onto the stage as Paramore opened the show with “You First.” They didn’t waste any time getting the party started as red confetti filled the front half of the arena during the first song. Accompanying Williams on the stage was Paramore guitarist Taylor York, drummer, Zac Farro, Joey Howard, Brian Robert Jones, Logan MacKenzie, and Joseph Mullen. I ended up seated next to MacKenzie’s mom and dad. They were visiting from New Zealand to see him live for a couple of stops on the second leg of the North American tour!
Williams debuted her purple and white hair — a nod to the release of Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) which dropped that night. Williams is featured on a vault track titled “Castles Crumbling.” Although she didn’t perform the song for the New Orleans crowd, she did accept a Speak Now friendship bracelet from a fan in the crowd. “We should talk about it for one second… the guys and I have known Taylor since around the time Riot! came out. It’s been a long time. We grew up together and Speak Now is my favorite of her albums because taste. I got to be a part of Taylor’s Version of Speak Now so that’ll be out tonight. Enjoy!” Paramore also recently supported Taylor Swift on the US leg of her Eras Tour and will be opening for all 48 European shows in 2024.
It’s rare I’m blown away by the energy of a crowd but there was no denying how electric it felt inside the Smoothie King Center. Throughout the two-hour-long set, the crowd nor the band lost any momentum. And what makes a Paramore show special, which Williams herself mentioned, is the crowd itself. From watching them light up the arena red and white during “Last Hope” to everyone throwing their pinkies up during ”Big Man Little Dignity” to carrying the bridge of “The Only Exception” after Williams accidentally knocked over her mic to convincing the band to do a Who Dat chant in exchange for a bag of beignets, the crowd itself felt like a welcoming, warm and fun community.
“Thank you for letting us create…showing up and supporting and letting us just do our thing” I lost count of how many times Williams took a moment to express how thankful the band was for their fans. And every single time it felt just as genuine as the first! The last time they did an arena tour was in 2013. Not many of their peers can say that they can still fill an arena a decade later!
I recently saw Paramore perform at Hangout Music Festival in Gulf Shores, AL. but that set was just a taste of what Paramore had to offer. Having their own headlining tour allowed for a longer set, a more intricate stage setup including a b-stage that ascended above the main stage, extra production like pyro and confetti, and the ability to bring a fan on stage for “Misery Business.” For four years, the band retired the 2007 hit because of criticism and backlash over certain lyrics. Last Fall, they decided to play it again – and trust me when I say it wouldn’t be a proper Paramore show without hearing it live!
Signs went up and screams erupted around the arena as Williams looked out into the crowd to select one lucky fan to join the band on stage. In the front of the pit stood a fan named Javier whose sign said “Try and Fail” with numbers 14 and 15 scratched out above the number 16. Scribbled on the sign was “same poster past three concerts, please let me speak now!” Fitting that he was also wearing a shirt with a picture of Taylor Swift and Hayley Williams on it. He was invited on stage to help sing the final verse before he and the band took a selfie with the crowd!
The two-hour setlist featured a bit of everything – songs from their latest album, This Is Why, which dropped in February, for the new fans, and for the day one Paramore fans, they included the nostalgic early-2000s pop-punk tracks like “That’s What You Get.” Williams dedicated their performance of “Last Hope” to a young fan in the GA pit watching the show from her dad’s shoulders. It was not only her first Paramore show but her first concert ever! They added in a cover of a Williams solo song, “Crystal Clear,” as well as having Farro sing “Baby,” a song from his side project, HalfNoise. The band ended the night with a vibrant performance of their double-platinum hit, “Still Into You” followed by the title track of their newest album, “This is Why.”
Thursday night’s show proved exactly why Paramore is still around, they’re a powerhouse accompanied by a sense of community and acceptance. If the band is stopping in a city near you, this is your sign to get a ticket and experience it for yourself!
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