P!NK's concert in Phoenix: Acrobatic spectacle, raw emotion and Brandi Carlile's last stop
P!NK appeared to be doing her best Max Headroom as a computerized image of the singer welcomed fans to Chase Field in downtown Phoenix on Monday, Oct. 9, for a concert she said would be "a carnival, a cornucopia of pleasures, a celebration."
It was also something of a circus, as expected.
The singer most likely to slingshot her way to the farthest reaches of a stadium in acrobatic rigging launched her set with a song designed for such occasions, "Get the Party Started," appearing high above her bandmates in a giant red-lipped mouth and bungee jumping to the stage below in a dizzying display of midair flips and somersaults, accompanied by two male acrobats.
The aerial gymnastics carried over to her second song, an effervescent "Raise Your Glass," as dancers rode flamingo scooters under acrobats suspended on bungee cords attached to giant bunches of bananas, all very on brand for P!NK.
"Turbulence," among several highlights pulled from this year's "Trustfall," found her doing aerial ballet in silk ropes, at one point spinning upside down, while that same album's title track featured breathtaking stunts performed on trampolines.
The concert ended with her most outrageous aerial hijinks during "So What," soaring high above the crowd while playing to the upper reaches of the stadium in acrobatic harness during a joyous performance of "So What."
P!NK's 2023 tour setlist: 'Who Knew,' 'So What' and every song she sang in Phoenix
P!NK's Phoenix concert included Led Zeppelin, Pat Benatar covers
In those moments, her concerts are very much pop music's answer to Cirque du Soleil, the likes of which few pop stars are in any danger of approaching.
But there's more to P!NK than death-defying aerial gymnastics.
Whether you agree with main support act Brandi Carlile, who praised her as a once-a-generation talent, or not, the sheer artistic range she brings to the proceedings is beyond impressive.
Her musical vision extends from the anthemic EDM flavor of “What About Us” to the hard-rocking covers of songs associated with Led Zeppelin and Pat Benatar and a handful of ballads conveyed with raw emotion, including a video duet with the formerly local Nate Ruess of the Format and fun. on their chart-topping ballad, “Just Give Me a Reason.”
Another quality that always stands out at a Pink show is the strength of the connection she’s established with her fan base and the way she nurtures that connection in the course of her performance.
It feels too genuine and natural to call it playing to the crowd. It feels more like she's sharing stories with her closest friends, injecting charming bits of humor in the story of a visit to her father's grave while dedicating "When I Get There" to everyone mourning their loved ones.
She can be funny and heartfelt and silly and righteous and real, all with equal conviction. And she seems just as natural getting the Led out while channeling Robert Plant on “Babe, I’m Gonna Leave You” as she does cavorting with her crew of dancers on the uplifting “Never Gonna Not Dance Again” from her latest album.
She’s all over the map, to be honest. But she ends up sounding right at home no matter where she lands. And she's assembled a stellar assortment of backing musicians and singers to follow her through all those stylistic changes while giving each song what it needs.
It doesn't hurt that P!NK is an uncommonly expressive singer with a commanding voice as rich and powerful as ever nearly 25 years down the road from the release of her first single.
That voice allows her to convey a range of emotions, from the vulnerability of “Just Give Me a Reason” to the swagger it takes to write off a breakup with “So what? I'm still a rock star. I got my rock moves. And I don't need you.”
P!NK's daughter Willow sang 'Cover Me in Sunshine'
She brought her impressively self-assured 12-year-old daughter Willow Sage Hart (introduced as One-Take Willow) out to join her on a track called “Cover Me in Sunshine,” beaming like the proudest mom you’ve ever seen as Willow made the spotlight feel like a natural fit.
And Carlile returned to the stage to join her in paying emotional tribute to the late Sinead O’Connor, who died in July, on a show-stopping cover of “Nothing Compares 2 U,” accompanied only by a grand piano.
Other highlights included Pink's hits "Don't Let Me Get Me," "Just Like a Pill" and "(Expletive) Perfect" to covers of Bob Dylan's "Make You Feel My Love" (a song she said was brought to her attention by Adele's recording) and Sade's "No Ordinary Love."
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Who opened for P!NK in Phoenix?
Technically, KidCutUp got the party started several hours prior to Pink's big entrance with a seamless medley of club-ready remixes.
The LA DJ went heavy on classics, from “Big Yellow Taxi” to “We Are Young,” “Mysterious Ways,” “Edge of Seventeen,” “Like a Prayer” and “Heaven Is a Place on Earth.” There were hits by Nirvana, The Clash and Rick Springfield.
He even segued straight from Johnny Cash’s “Ring of Fire,” retrofitted with block-rocking beats to underscore those mariachi horns, to Dolly Parton’s “9 to 5,” which somehow came off as the perfect setup for the Run-DMC reinvention of Aerosmith’s “Walk This Way.”
As he was bringing his set to a close with “Heaven Is a Place on Earth,” he told the crowd, “I want to welcome everybody into the Summer Carnival Tour.” Mission accomplished.
Grouplove followed KidCutUp to open for P!NK
Grouplove came out rocking with reckless abandon on “Deleter” as KidCutUp was leaving the stage, one more seamless transition.
With seven musicians on stage, their sound was absolutely massive, an intoxicating wall of sound that underscored their most contagious pop hooks with a sense of urgency that made them that much more inviting.
They’re also blessed with two lead singers equally adept at commanding a stadium crowd.
Their set may have peaked with a spirited romp through "Tongue Tied," a calling card lead singer Hannah Hooper introduced as a song of inclusion, love and "letting people in." A few songs later, their other lead singer, guitar player Christian Zucconi, set up "Colours" with a call to "take care of each other" and "love each other."
In those moments, Grouplove could scarcely have come across as more perfectly suited to the task of welcoming P!NK fans to the Summer Carnival Tour (short of strapping on an acrobatic harness and slingshotting their way across the stadium).
KidCutUp returned to the stage to fill the space between Grouplove and Carlile and a third time after Carlile's set.
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Phoenix was Brandi Carlile's last night on the P!NK tour
This was Brandi Carlile's last night on the P!NK tour and she rose to the occasion with a crowd-pleasing set whose highlights included two inspired covers — a suitably noisy rendition of the song that made Radiohead seem like they could be a killer pop band if they wanted, "Creep," and the set-closing triumph that was Carlile's version of "We Are the Champions," a brilliant choice.
She's an engaging presence with a smile that all but dares you not to smile along and a vocal range that was apparent by the time she followed "Broken Horses" with a pair of songs that showcased her elastic upper register — "You and Me on the Rock" and "The Things I Regret."
She and her bandmates sounded amazing on the three-part harmonies of "The Eye" and she turned in her grittiest vocal of the concert on "The Story."
It doesn't hurt that she's assembled an amazing touring band with Shooter Jennings, drummer Matt Cameron (who went from Soundgarden to Pearl Jam to Carlile with assorted stops along the way), three backup singers and a string section.
She's also endearingly funny. Introducing "The Eye," she talked about getting together in Seattle, with Phillip John and Timothy Jay Hanseroth, the twins who were about to join her on those gorgeous bluegrass harmonies.
"The thing that brought us together in Seattle in the late '90s," she said with a smile, "was our love of super-tight three-part harmony. And I don't know if you know what was going on in Seattle in the '90s, but it was not three-part harmony."
After "Creep," noting the kids in attendance, she told the crowd, "I'm sorry about the cursing, but it's in the song."
It was a brilliant set that had the P!NK fans cheering wildly by the time she brought her portion of the night to a triumphant finale with "We Are the Champions."
P!NK's '2023 setlist: Every song she played in Phoenix
Here’s P!NK's Summer Carnival Tour setlist in Phoenix.
"Get the Party Started" (featuring aerial stunts by P!nk and elements of “Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)” by Eurythmics and "Gonna Make You Sweat" By C + C Music Factory)
"Raise Your Glass"
"Who Knew"
"Just Like a Pill"
"Try"
"What About Us" (uptempo dance version)
"Turbulence" (aerial stunt)
"I Don't Believe You" (snippet in the Name That Tune segment)
"Make You Feel My Love" (Bob Dylan cover)
"Nothing Compares 2 U" (Sinéad O’Connor cover with Brandi Carlile)
"Just Give Me a Reason"
"(Expletive) Perfect"
"Just Like Fire" / "Heartbreaker" (partial Pat Benatar cover)
"Please Don't Leave Me" (acoustic)
"Cover Me in Sunshine" (with daughter Willow Sage Hart)
"Don't Let Me Get Me" (acoustic)
"When I Get There"
"I Am Here"
"Babe, I'm Gonna Leave You" (Led Zeppelin cover)
"No Ordinary Love" (Sade cover)
"Trustfall"
"Blow Me (One Last Kiss)" (with band introductions)
"Never Gonna Not Dance Again" (with dancer introductions)
"Last Call"
Encore:
"So What" (aerial stunts)
Reach the reporter at ed.masley@arizonarepublic.com or 602-444-4495. Follow him on Twitter @EdMasley.
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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: P!NK's dazzling Summer Carnival Tour soars in Phoenix
