It’s official. I can confirm that P!NK is one of the greatest performers of our time and you can’t convince me otherwise. Her Beautiful Trauma World Tour stopped in New Orleans at the Smoothie King Center on Sunday, March 17th aka St. Patrick's Day and if you missed it, I feel bad for you and here’s why.
No 'Issues' with the Opener
Julia Michaels opened up the Beautiful Trauma Tour. I previously saw the singer/songwriter perform less than a year ago in the same arena as she opened for Maroon 5’s Red Pill Blues Tour. Since last June, Julia Michaels has dropped another EP titled Inner Monologue Part 1 that features collaborations with Selena Gomez and Niall Horan. Like Pink, Michaels talks about real life in her music - from tackling anxiety to falling in love to experiencing a bad break-up. She is open & honest in her lyrics and is the same way on stage. Her high spirited and bubbly personality was shining through on stage when she performed making her a truly enjoyable artist to watch.
The Woman of the Hour
Let me start by saying that if Cirque du Soleil, a concert, and a Broadway play had a baby...it would be a P!NK concert.
Over the years I’ve tuned in to watch Pink perform on awards shows where she dangles from ropes and soars across the stage but seeing it in person was a whole 'nother experience. The 3-time Grammy award winning pop star came out suspended upside-down and dangling above the sold-out crowd on a pink chandelier...all while singing live. If there was a way to “Get the Party Started” then Pink did it!
From her multitude of outfit changes to her various set changes, my expectations were met and beyond exceeded. For almost two hours Pink took the stage for her first ever headlining show in New Orleans. With musicians, backing vocalists, and dancers filling every inch of the stage, the set beamed with visual euphoria - with pyro lighting up the stage during “Just Like Fire," a floating bed during “Just Give Me A Reason,” a massive Cypress tree with her dancers dressed as animals during “Try," and a 3-story inflated Eminem during “Revenge.”
Throughout her 21-song set (which catered to all fans - those who’ve been with her since the pink hair days to the ones who now know her as the unstoppable blonde mother-of-two), there were five video interludes. I will admit, I teared up during both her “Women Are Strong” and “My Daughter is Beautiful” interludes. She touched on topics such as feminism, gay rights, racial injustices in the world, and how everyone deserves equal rights no matter their gender, sexuality, or race. The other interlude was an audio clip where Pink opened up to the crowd about her daughter being insecure about the way she looks and how she reassured her daughter that she is beautiful and to never change for anyone.
Pink’s enthusiasm for creating special moments with individuals in the crowd did not go unnoticed. She stopped to sign a fan who had either a sign or t-shirt with ‘He’s an asshole but I love him’ on it - referencing Pink’s song “True Love”. “She was trying to put her boobie in my hand,” Pink exclaimed while chuckling as she headed back on stage. She also stopped to acknowledge fans with signs and even wished some fans a happy birthday.
With two general admission pits in the front of her stage, fans in the pit got an up close & personal view of Pink but before the night ended everyone in the arena was able to see Pink at a very close range. During her hit single "So What," Pink turned herself into a human slingshot. She zigzagged at both rapid and easy-going speeds throughout the arena going as high as the 300 level to as low as soaring right above those of us on the floor.
Also, I must acknowledge that the Beautiful Trauma World Tour wouldn’t be anything without the amazing band, background vocalists and dancers! Pink even took a second to call out every one of her musicians and dancers during the course of the show. And let it be known it was TRULY a production because there were even credits rolling after the encore. The only other artists I’ve seen include credits at the end of their show are Beyonce & Jay-Z for their On the Run II Tour.
There was no better way to spend St. Patty’s Day then seeing Pink headline her a sold-out show. P.S. If you didn’t know, she has a new album titled Hurts 2B Human that will be dropping next month in April.
Want to re-live P!nk's Beautiful Trauma tour stop in New Orleans? Check out my P!NK Instagram Highlight to watch clips from the shows along with the photo gallery below.
