Review: Gracie Abrams rocks Brisbane Entertainment Centre
Pop star Gracie Abrams has opened her Qld leg of her tour with a bang, and it was so earth-shatteringly beautiful I’m just glad I’m not going through a breakup, writes Mikaela Mulveney.
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All I could think while Gracie Abrams was belting the iconic bridge to ‘I Love You, I’m Sorry’ is thank God I’m not going through a break-up.
Because the girl scream-crying two rows away definitely was.
The American singer, daughter of director JJ Abrams and one of Taylor Swift’s besties, took her sellout The Secret of Us Tour to Brisbane on Tuesday night, giving a stellar performance for her adoring Brisbane fans.
There were similar scenes to the Billie Eilish mania Queensland saw just a few months ago, with hundreds of fans lining up for barricade spots from the early hours of Tuesday morning - others even camping for several days outside the Entertainment Centre.
The dress code? Anything pastel.
A majority of the 13,000 attendees must to have hit their local Kmart, Lovisa or Cotton On to get their hands on a bow, mirroring Abrams’ beginnings where she to wore bows in her hair.
But, it didn’t matter what age you were - from the 13-year-old’s who made me question if I was too old to be there, or in your 20s - every lyric was screamed.
She’s a common feature on the sad girl playlist and with a mentor like Taylor Swift, it’s no surprise the lyrically beautifully, yet gut-wrenchingly relatable songs engaged a fanbase of millions across the world.
Kicking off one of two Brisbane shows, Abrams went straight into three of her new album’s openers including ‘Felt Good About You’, ‘Risk’ and ‘Blowing Smoke’.
“Five shows into this leg of the tour and you’ve exceeded every single one of my expectations,” Abrams told the crowd.
“Dance if you want to dance, if you feel like crying do that ... this is for you.”
Songs from her early albums also featured and in a nod to Swift, Abrams included two surprise tracks to keep fans on their toes.
Her interactions with said fans were just as wholesome, taking gifts - including a bedazzled Australian flag - and even telling one lucky fan she remembered her from her last tour.
However it was during Abrams performances of her biggest hits, ‘I Love You, I’m Sorry’, ‘That’s So True’, ‘I Miss You, I’m Sorry’ and ‘Close To You’, that crowds really rivalled the screams of Swift’s Eras Tour.
‘Close To You’ saw the general admission and reserved seating on their feet dancing, with some creating a mini mosh, jumping up and down for a closing number that would be hard to forget.
Nothing brings a group of strangers together more than screaming heartbreaking ballads at the top of your lungs which may or may not have had you shedding tears over your ex.
The only disappointment of the night? Her heart-throb actor boyfriend Paul Mescal, who showed his support during Abrams New Zealand leg, was a no show in Brisbane.
Originally published as Review: Gracie Abrams rocks Brisbane Entertainment Centre
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