In a summer with mega tours crossing the US and creating economic booms, P!NK’s Summer Carnival tour is an event worthy of attending in its own right. It might be less a carnival and more of a circus with the charismatic and candid singer as the ringleader of the unique pop spectacle. Pink has long maintained an element of aerial theatrics in her show that few performers would dare attempt.
Pink started her show at Citi Field in New York City with one of her earliest hits, the banger “Get the Party Started”, as she appeared in a ring between a giant pair of red lips suspended maybe 100 feet above the stage. But she quickly bungeed to the stage (with her harness around her waist) to join her backup dancers and power through singles like another party anthem, “Raise Your Glass”, and the enduring “Try”.
Outside of her hits, Pink performed a few covers, including Bob Dylan’s “Make You Feel My Love”, Sade’s “No Ordinary Love”, and a stirring tribute to Sinéad O’Connor by way of Prince. Welcoming out Brandi Carlile (who, with her band, have been openers on the tour), Pink exclaimed, “We used to spend all my money down the Jersey Shore as a kid making a demo tape of this song, so I’m going to sing it.” Before she and Carlile dueted on Prince’s “Nothing Compares 2 U”.
Pink allowed time to interact with fans repeatedly between multiple costume changes and the songs. At first contact with a fan, I feared a repeat of recent inane interactions she’s had, like the one where she received a wheel of cheese or another show where one fan passed up her mother’s ashes. But the New York crowd was cheerful and shared positivity with her. Pink gathered friendship bracelets (something Taylor Swift‘s fans are known to create en masse), signed some items (like a decorated pillow and someone’s arm), and requested an illustrator of a smoking frog sign the art she wanted to have in her collection.
But it was the finale that differentiated the performance from any other stadium show (this year or before) and will remain emblazoned in memories. During “So What”, Pink gets strapped in and is launched across and around the stadium. The aerial performance sees her zipping over the crowd and dipping in and out of the audience on a stadium-wide wire setup. If Pink’s powerful voice and iconic look (especially that epic mohawk) aren’t enough evidence, singing “I’m a rockstar” while flipping through the air cements her status as one.
3 AUGUST 2023 SETLIST
Get the Party Started
Raise Your Glass
Who Knew
Just Like a Pill
Try
What About Us
Heartbeat
Turbulence
Don’t Let Me Get Me
Make You Feel My Love (Bob Dylan cover)
Nothing Compares 2 U (Prince cover)
Just Give Me a Reason
F**kin’ Perfect
Just Like Fire
Please Don’t Leave Me
Kids in Love
When I Get There
I Am Here
Irrelevant
Smoke
No Ordinary Love (Sade cover)
Are You Gonna Fall?
TRUSTFALL
Blow Me (One Last Kiss)
Never Gonna Not Dance Again
Last Call
So What
Sachyn Mital
Source link
