Lorde’s Ultrasound World Tour was an artsy liberal arts college interpretive dance piece that you don’t fully understand: in the best way possible.
When I, miraculously, procured tickets to Lorde’s Sept. 23 concert in Columbus, OH, I didn’t know quite what to expect. This was only my second-ever concert, and my first surrounded by people my age, after the Stevie Nicks concert, where the average age of the audience was around 50. As someone who dislikes the unknown, particularly in social situations, I was a bit anxious and worried that I would feel out of place there.
However, I would honestly recommend this concert to anyone. As a long-time Lorde fan and a mega fan of her new album, Virgin, it was an incredible experience. It wasn’t anything like the concerts I had seen clips from online, like The Eras Tour, the Short n’ Sweet Tour, the Renaissance World Tour, or even Benson Boone’s tour, the American Heart World Tour.
In many of the clips I’ve seen, there’s always a lot of theatrics: acting, running bits, choreographed dance routines, numerous outfit changes, and an overall wow factor that seems necessary at every concert. What I really appreciated about this concert, strangely enough, was the lack of theatrics. Not theatrics as in dance and special effects, as there was plenty of that, but as in Lorde, not floating or flying above the crowd, and the concert having an authentic, unique composition. She relied less on impressive visual elements and more on her singing, and it really seemed like she was just having fun on stage.
She wasn’t wearing anything bedazzled or fancy and did the majority of the concert in just a T-shirt and a pair of jeans. While I think showy concerts can be fun, it was refreshing to see a show that wasn’t entirely contingent on everything in the background and just focused on Lorde herself.
She had two dancers with her on stage who played a fairly significant role in the performance, from eating an entire apple to running on a treadmill; they were employed in various ways that added to the overall experience. It also contributed to the feeling of an interpretive dance, as earlier stated.
Another unique part of this show was her wardrobe, with Lorde almost entirely stripping down on stage: strange, I know. She took off her jeans during the pre-chorus of “Current Affairs” and had them off for two songs while she ran around in her boxers. Later in the show, during “GRWM,” the background screen was fixated on her torso for almost the entirety of the song, with almost nothing else visible.
During “Man of the Year,” one of the more popular tracks off the album, she took off her shirt and wore the iconic duct tape bra that many fans wear as an outfit to the concert. Finally, during “David,” one of my personal favorites off the album, she wore a jacket covered in lit-up panels as she walked through the crowd.
One of my favorite parts of the show was when she sang “David,” and the stage background flashed between clips of her walking through the crowd and clips of her walking across the floor hours before anyone arrived. The sound, imagery, and lights all made the song and experience feel surreal, and it was a beautiful depiction of change.
The entire night felt surreal, and the setlist was perfectly arranged. At my show, she ended up swapping “Liability” off of her Melodrama album for “Writer in the Dark” from the same album, which is one of my favorites.
Despite the concert not being overly showy or containing any crazy feats of choreography, I still loved the show for what it was: a concert. I appreciate that she is returning to a more traditional concert vibe, placing the primary focus on her singing and her own individual performance. I was beyond impressed, and Lorde can take all of my money for whatever future concerts she has because I can guarantee I’ll be there.
