Lorde in Nashville: Night One of Solar Power

While Olivia Rodrigo was winning her first round of Grammys Sunday night, the artist I (and several others) often consider to be as influential to the expression of their teenage adolescent angst -- as Rodrigo is to the current teenage generation -- was putting on her first show since 2018 in Nashville.

If you needed proof of this comparison, may I direct you to the rambunctious pack of  late 20s/early 30-somethings that lined the seats of the Grand Ole Opry on April 3rd to see Lorde kick off her "Solar Power Tour". And if the Opry seems like an odd choice of venue for the New Zealand crooner, that's because Solar Power and its accompanying tour are an odd transition for her.

The first thing that struck me by Lorde's opening night of tour was the audience, how unimaginably quiet everyone was during her songs. There is very little in the way of bass and drums we've grown accustomed to during concerts in Lorde's minimalist instrumentals, and the acoustics of the Opry provided her an atmosphere unmatched. You could legitimately hear a pin drop during her first song, "Leader of a New Regime."

Solar Power is graced with lighter sounds, acoustic guitar and occasional strings, where her first two albums thrived in pulsing electronic bass and synthesizer. It's a move that's alienated early fans of Lorde, yet not hindered her success in any way.

If the sonic shift between 2017's Melodrama and 2021's Solar Power wasn't enough to tell you Lorde is envisioning a unique future for her artistry, then maybe a look at her backing band. Dressed in all-mauve suits that look like David Byrne designed them, Lorde is assisted by a revolving cast of 7-8 musicians during the night. Synths, a bassist who looks like Egg from Arrested Development, electric and acoustic guitar, backup vocals, and drums join and leave the stage as needed.

This stripped-down team of instrumentalists highlights the powerful moments from Solar Power, and make the night feel like an impromptu jam-session that 2,500 other people happened to stumble upon. And then, during moments where she starts raging, like Melodrama's "Green Light", you feel as though she's a drunk friend that's dragged you to the basement of a college house party, flailing and kicking and dancing as well as you'd expect. It's a blast.

Lorde's personality and relationship with her fans contributes to this atmosphere -- at one point she sits down, a soft piano melody swirling behind her. She looks into the stage camera, and asks the crowd, "how have you been?" Lorde frequently writes a fan newsletter, updating subscribers on album developments, personal life, and upcoming tour dates and music videos. But most importantly, she makes it seem like the reader is a long-time friend of hers. 

And in such a small venue, that emotion persisted and intensified, amounting to a unique and charitable persona not many can really harness during performances. I expect a lot of this fact convinced Lorde to choose spots like the Opry, and several other later stops.

At the end of the concert, post-encore, the artist took a final bow and dashed stage right, disappearing into the black of the backstage. She had arrived as quickly as she left, in a burst of sunshine. I think with time, both the tour and the album will undeniably prove to be a bright spot for Lorde and her fans alike, as she shines some of that sun across the U.S.

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What is Lorde's best song and why is it "Ribs"? Let us know in the comments below!

- Ritter