Friday night in Hartford, Connecticut saw Olivia Rodrigo kick off her Unraveled Tour, and the performance delivered on expectations. Spanning three hours and drawing from three albums, Rodrigo shuttled between a curved main stage, a small round B-stage and a diminutive third stage bedecked with flowers. The audience was predominantly female, yet there were enough male attendees to supply the goofy deep vocal parts on “Expectations,” while “I still f—ing love you” echoed through the arena during “Drivers License.”.
The Setlist That Made the Cut
For the Hartford opening night, Rodrigo picked 23 tracks for the performance. Some of her most beloved numbers from GUTS and SOUR did not make the cut, among them “What’s Wrong With Me,” a song the review calls a reasonable exclusion because Robert Smith is not traveling with her on this run. A full setlist can be scrolled through online.
The songs that did make the list include:
- “Drivers License”
- “Expectations”
- “All-American Bitch”
- “The Cure”
- “Less”
- “Stupid Song”
Drivers License Still Hits Hard
A three-song piano run ended at the curved end of the main stage, with “Drivers License” sitting atop it. Voices echoed through the arena as they sang along to the chorus, after two earlier songs of limerance — a particularly sad “Honeybee,” followed by “Favorite Crime” — had already set the crowd’s feelings running high.
According to the review, the hit still has the power to make a grown woman weep, and it stands as a high point that defines the entire show’s mood from start to finish.
Three Stages, One Star
Throughout the night, Rodrigo’s movements took him through three distinct phases. The curved main stage gave excellent sightlines from every direction for much of the evening. The small round B-stage, by contrast, held the standout performance of “The Cure,” which came across as all rain-soaked and cathartic.
She appeared on a much tinier stage for a charming “Stupid Song,” with fans gathered around her like a choir. Across the three arrangements, general-admission ticketholders had a fair chance of getting near Rodrigo.
Close Encounters With the Crowd
It takes real skill to make a big arena show feel close up. Rodrigo did it by putting several stages across the wide floor, among them the long main stage, the small round B-stage and the third little stage set with flowers.
She wandered through the various parts of the barricade, pausing now and then to sing with people or simply take their hands, without any obvious plan behind her movements. One time, she appeared to pose for a photograph.
At another point in the night, just before the show’s “The Cure” climax, she sang an entire song (“Less”) seated at the B-stage stairs, at eye level and within arm’s reach of those in the pit.
As the tour progresses, the bond between Rodrigo and her audience is likely to grow tighter, since she’ll become more at ease with her own set. With the stage serving as her second home across several months, the physical cues and timing will naturally become second nature, which leaves even more room for genuine connection.
The Birthday Party
On Sept. 25, two events occurred together: the start of The Unraveled Tour, with its wildflower stage design, and a birthday that held extra personal significance for Rodrigo. She led the arena in marking the occasion by performing “Happy Birthday” for her mother on the piano.
Wolf Alice warmed up the crowd with a fine opening set. Some of Liv’s favorites from their catalog included “You’re a Germ” and “Bros.” Rodrigo encouraged listeners to do a deep dive into the band’s work.
What We Make of It
The review paints a vivid picture of Rodrigo’s live show — wildflowers, rain, snow, confetti, three stages, and intimate crowd interactions — with real feeling about the music and the atmosphere. The setlist hit all the marks across three albums’ worth of material, and the crowd responded with energy throughout.
The review is full of praise, calling the show joyful and saying it went off without a hitch. A floral design, rain, snow and confetti formed a striking visual setting for a performance that embraced a rock show feel.
Some songs were cut from the track listing because of the two-hour runtime limit, though the full setlist is posted online so people can see which ones were left out.
The review presents the show as an event meant for listeners of all ages, though it notes some mature language stands apart from the rest of the experience.
Anyone who has watched Rodrigo’s career unfold over three full-length albums and five-and-a-half years got a clear picture at her first live show. The review describes that sense of trying to put into words what you just experienced after seeing her perform live for the first time.
The write-up closes on two standout elements: the lovely “Stupid Song” sing-along and the striking shift of “Cigarette Smoke” from a slow-burning album closer into an angsty mid-show rock therapy session. These are the specifics that stand out most from this opening night of the tour.
As Rodrigo grows more comfortable with the material, the setlist will change, and the review suggests that the bond between artist and audience will grow stronger as the run goes on. The opening night in Hartford already marks a solid beginning to what promises to be a memorable run of shows.
Source material: “Olivia Rodrigo’s Unraveled Tour Opener Blooms Into a Rock Show for All, With Hit After Hit: 5 Best Moments,” Billboard.
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