2014 has been the year of a 17 year old from New Zealand called Lorde. Winning a slew of awards for her record “Pure Heroine” including 2 Grammy’s, really pushes you into the spotlight. When it was announced that Artpark was lucky to be one of the cities that Lorde would visit on her fall tour back in May, the city has been abuzz since.
With Artpark’s amphitheater packed with every kind of teenager, tween, mom and dad, the entire crowd stood up as soon as Lorde appeared in between the stage prop flickering streetlights. She was center stage and decked out in a black and white outfit, one of several of the night. The light’s alternated to the hip-hop style kick drum of “Glory And Gore.” When “White Teeth Teens” began, the backdrop departed and showcased the two band members on stage. Due to her minimalistic indietronica style, all her music requires is a drummer and a keyboard/synth player; and her voice of course! She thanked the audience and the audience practically sang “Tennis Court” and “Buzzcut Season” for her. Soon after a stage and outfit change occurred, but not without the help of a video and bubbles to dazzle the audience in between, the flashy beat of “400 Lux” began as she appeared once again with a large white coat and a patterned designed panel behind her. As the show progressed, so did the light production.
Lorde breezed through two songs that she resurrected from her previous EP The Love Club “Bravado” and “Biting Down” before performing a cover of Bon Iver’s song “Heavenly Father.” After “Still Sane,” she thanked the audience while talking about coming all the way from Auckland, New Zealand, to Lewiston, New York. She talked about the unknown about growing up and how absolutely terrifying it is. getting a strong reaction from all of the likeminded teens in the venue. Also the uncertainty of it as well, talking about how she wrote the next song “Lips” on her couch two years ago in her pajamas, and Now she’s singing in New York. Once again there was the last outfit change of the night, a red silky outfit with a golden headband to satisfy her Queen B status. The stage transformed into a classic movie cinema with a chandelier hanging and an old style movie sign that read “Tonight: The Tragic and Wonderful Triumphful procession of Lorde ” with screens in the background alternating between confused teenaged boys and a dog staring intently into space. She performed her smash hit song “Royals” with, once again, the crowd practically singing over her but she was not done yet. “Team” and her finale song “A World Alone” had a light and confetti show flashier than the over-rated materialistic lifestyles that she sings about on her full-length album “Pure Heroine”.
Setlist:
Glory and Gore
White Teeth Teens
Tennis Court
Buzzcut Season
No Better
400 Lux
Flashing Lights (Kanye West cover)
Bravado
Biting Down
Heavenly Father (Bon Iver cover)
Still Sane
Ribs
Royals
Team
A World Alone
Photos by Gus Griesinger. We would like to thank Maria Hays from Artpark for her assistance in helping BackstageAxxess review the show.
