At concerts, the artist often mentions how much he loved playing in the city where he is currently staying. While I don’t doubt that statement is true, you know they say it at every show on tour.
Paramore lead singer Hayley Williams shared how special it is for her to play in Detroit. Of course I believed her, but I didn’t really get what she meant until she told the packed audience at Little Caesars Arena that the band had premiered their seminal 2007 hit “Misery Business” on radio in Detroit heard .
In addition, they played their concert at The Shelter, the tiny performance space in the basement of St. Andrew’s Hall.
From the performance at The Shelter to the practically sold-out Little Caesars Arena, it shows how much work Hayley Williams and Co. have put into the last 15 years of their career.
Their hard work certainly shows, too. For a little over two hours, Paramore played hit after hit, a setlist of songs from their extensive catalogue. I didn’t realize it until I looked at the setlist after the concert, but they played 22 songs. It was such a dynamic concert that it didn’t even remotely resemble a 22-set concert.
Old school songs like “That’s What You Get,” “Misery Business,” and “Only Exception” took me back to the days of a teenager, and when they played “Decode,” famous for being featured on the soundtrack of the first “Twilight.” ‘ film , I was hit by a school bus with nostalgia.
The whole night was filled with joy. Opener Genesis Owusu is consistently played on indie rock radio stations (Shout out, Sirius XMU) and it brought the funk to audiences ready to party and dance. I am particularly a fan of his new album and beamed with delight as he performed the track “WUTD” and his new single “Leaving the Light”.
The other opener was early act band Bloc Party, which was also a treat for those of us who grew up watching the Warped Tour. Hearing her perform “Banquet” and “Helicopter” was a real treat.
The night belonged to Paramore and I really hope they finally get recognition for the veteran band they are. Of all the bands that emerged from the early 2000’s emo scene, they have established themselves as by far the most successful and popular.
Williams’ singing is out of this world and it’s so nice to see that she’s finally getting the recognition she deserves. This is a band up for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame by the end of this decade and it would be wonderful if they were inducted.
With Paramore coming to a city near you, don’t miss the opportunity to have an amazing evening of music and dancing. YYou can see the full tour dates here.
