Show Reveiw: Paramore at Denver’s Ball Area 7.13.23
Photo’s by Zachary Gary.
On the eve of Taylor Swift’s ‘Eras Tour’ arriving in Denver, only one concert couldn’t be overshadowed by the pop legend. That being Paramore’s Thursday night show at Denver’s Ball arena. A sold-out crowd of 20,000 filled the stadium to see the band’s first show in Denver since their 2018 Red Rocks performance. 5 years since the band’s last performance in Colorado and 6 years since the release of ‘After Laughter’, fans were eager to catch the icons as they tour in support of ‘This Is Why’.
The night was kicked off by up-and-coming punk rockers ‘The Linda Lindas’. The group of extremely talented young musicians filled the room with commanding force. As attendees made their way to their seats, they were met with a blast of high energy rock that quickly energized everyone in the room. The band’s 10 song setlist was enthralling and felt as if it truly flew by.
UK alt rockers Foals hit the stage next, cutting into the energetic pop-rock ‘Wake me up’ The crowd already energized by The Linda Lindas started dancing with a little more gusto as Foals settled into their set. Foals touched on both older and new songs before arriving at the mid-point of their set with ‘Spanish Sahara’. The chatter of the crowd was silenced as the epic song built upon itself, rising in elevation from the soft key driven intro to the roar of energy pulsed into the crowd wave by wave. Tucking this massive track in the middle of the set pulled the crowd’s attention fully to the stage as the band rocked hard through the rest of their set. Leaving both first time listeners and long time fans impressed by this often underrated band.
Following the final set change of the night the lights dimmed and the screen behind the stage project a growing orb of flashing images and colors as the distorted voice of Hayley Williams gave a spoken word intro. The excited screams of the fans made the words difficult to hear yet it was a chill inducing moment as the rising energy from the stage was matched by the roar of the crowd while the band hit the stage. The first guitar notes of ‘You First’ cut through the air and resonated throughout the venue as the spotlight beamed onto Hayley Williams as she two stepped and twirled around the stage, the crowd even more alive with another massive roar invoked by her presence.
It wasn’t long into Paramore’s set that the nostalgia hit as the band cut into ‘That’s what you get’. It felt truly special to see the song played in a space so far gone from the days of its warped tour era inception. The sheer contrast of being performed during the daytime on a small stage in the parking lot of Mile High Stadium just down the street, to this massive arena stage in front of 20000 people was a testament to how hard this band has worked over the past nearly 20 years.
Complimenting the band’s amazing performance so far was the stunning light and stage design. An overhead set piece lowered and raised at certain points of the performance, making the stage feel smaller and the room more intimate. Later in the set a second platform elevated above the main stage, allowing Hayley, Taylor, and Zac to perform a close intimate performance of ‘Liar’ and ‘Crystal Clear’ from Hayley’s album 'Petals for Armor’. This shift in energy was a perfect juxtaposition from the high energy dance inspiring tunes that had washed over the crowd through the night so far. Another surprise juxtaposition arrived later in the set with Zac leaving his place behind the drum set and Hayley grabbing a guitar to perform ‘Baby’ from Zac’s halfnoise project.
While it was hard to take your eyes off of the core Paramore trio, the handful of extremely talented musicians sharing the stage with them couldn’t be overlooked. The added guitars, percussion, and keys provided additional sonics that complimented the trio perfectly. Every musician on stage played with immense gusto. Creating an amazing sound that no matter the tempo or energy of the song being played it sounded massive, even in this huge space.
It has been half a decade since Paramore played in Denver, yet every ounce of charisma and the kindhearted energy of Hayley Williams and company has stayed present. Hayley still stands as one of the best singers and entertainers in music today. Her charming and welcoming presence was on full display as she spoke to the crowd between songs. She thanked everyone for coming out as well as proclaiming “Tonight inside these walls, this is all that matters. I promise you that we are going to work really hard that you have 2 hours of forgetting the bullshit out there… Tonight this is family.”
The feelings of family and collectiveness stayed within the arena for the rest of the night as the performance continued on. The fan appreciation and love at times was so massive that Hayley had to pause what she was saying between songs due to the overwhelming cheer of the crowd. Every cheer and clap for Paramore was well deserved, they truly gave it all for those two hours as Hayley promised. Paramore brought one of the most outstanding performances that we have seen all year to 20,000 lucky family members.
Paramore’s tour continues on to west coast before wrapping up in St. Paul. Do not miss this tour if you have the chance.
Wed Jul 19 – Los Angeles, CA – Kia Forum+
Sat Jul 22 – San Francisco, CA – Chase Center+
Mon Jul 24 – Seattle, WA – Climate Pledge Arena+°
Tue Jul 25 – Portland, OR – Veterans Memorial Coliseum+°
Thu Jul 27 – Salt Lake City, UT – Vivint Arena+°
Sat Jul 29 – Tulsa, OK – BOK Center+°
Sun Jul 30 – St Louis, MO – Enterprise Center+°
Wed Aug 02 – St. Paul, MN – Xcel Energy Center+°
