It was 30 minutes until the doors opened, and the line to get into the Fox Theater snaked around the block. Walking down the line, one could spot eager fans in their 20s and 30s mixed in with numerous young girls with bushy, curly hair and dark makeup, dressing in honor of their heroine.
Before the New Zealand songstress took the stage though, Lo-Fang opened up the show with his mixture of soothing electronic melodies. While live violin is always impressive to watch and listen to, Lo-Fang and his band had a somewhat lackluster set, with songs bordering on monotony after the first few songs. After Lo-Fang left the stage, the crowd waited in eager anticipation as a lone microphone stood on the stage, almost mocking the crowd with the absence of the famed singer.
At nine o’clock, the lights dimmed down, and Lorde shuffled onto the stage. Opening with the powerful “Glory and Gore,” Lorde set the night off with ghastly lights and head-banging. The curtain behind her dropped to reveal her drummer and keys player before jumping into the mellow, drum-heavy “Biting Down.” The singer’s set comprised her entire Pure Heroine album, from album opener “Tennis Court,” to the aqua-themed lights and visuals of “Buzzcut Season” and soft-party jam “Ribs,” which Lorde revealed was inspired by a post-house party conversation she had with her best friend about growing up.
Lorde is known for her twitchy, stuttering movements on stage. The singer not only embraces her stage antics, but has the stage lights flicker and stutter with her, creating a visually stunning aspect to her show. This proved especially true for an extended rendition of her single “Team,” where her bandmates jammed away as she whipped her hair amongst a flurry of purple lights.
Choosing to skip an encore, Lorde powered through her set by closing down the night with a triple barrage of her massive hit “Royals,” the aforementioned “Team” and “A World Alone.” With an explosion of confetti and emotion pouring out of her voice during the last three songs, Lorde proved once again her dominance in the world of pop.