Melbourne is a city that consistently delivers events, and last night was no exception. While many people in the city were evidently headed to the footy, proudly wearing their team beanies and scarves, Gracie Abrams fans were also out in full force. Fans had their hair prettily decorated with a range of different coloured bows and ribbons. Some young fans even had cutely matching outfits and bows with their mums. In case you weren’t sure how to get to the concert, all you had to do was follow the ribbons.
It’s been a little over a year since the American singer-songwriter last visited our city, playing two sold out shows at the iconic Forum Melbourne back in January 2024, as part of The Good Riddance Tour, in her debut Australian visit. This time around, Gracie’s no stranger to our shores and many (including myself) would be seeing Gracie for the first time at one of her three sold out concerts this May, at Melbourne’s Rod Laver Arena for The Secret of Us Tour.
Supported by the excellent Ashe, who delivered a remarkable set with her strong vocals, captivating stage presence, and lyrically feisty and courageous tracks, including the brilliant and catchy ‘Angry Woman’ and the bitter-sweet ‘Love Is Letting Go’. The latter which she dedicated to her late brother, inspiring Melbourne patrons to sweetly light up the venue like little stars during the ballad, providing this promising pop star the reception she deserves and more.
When it was time for Gracie Abrams to take to the stage, everyone at Rod Laver Arena was up on their feet. Gracie appeared in an unlikely way, behind a big screen that was transparent enough to see her silhouette, holding a microphone while performing ‘Felt Good About You’, with the screens displaying a visual spectacle.
When the stage faded to black and the Rod Laver Arena venue lit up again, the brief silence erupted into a collective of screams. Gracie was seen wielding an acoustic guitar, and she hadn’t even had the chance to sing the second song yet! Looking red carpet ready in a stunning long sleeved and backless blue velvet dress, while accompanied by a four-piece band, she began her tune ‘Risk’, and from that moment on, and for the rest of the evening, the iconic Rod Laver Arena was ignited in song.
Affectionately addressing her Melbourne audience, Gracie warmly shared, “Before anything happens tonight, I just want to say thank-you so much for adopting this album into your lives. Australia is so generous. To be here, it means a lot. A lot more than you’ll ever know.” She then added after asking if anyone had come to the show with someone important to them, “This is the whole point, being able to gather like this. Specifically, to be loud about our feelings”, and they were.
Melbourne patrons were all unapologetically singing along with Gracie at the top of their lungs, knowing every note and every lyric that she released into Rod Laver Arena, transforming the iconic concert venue into a temporary residence and safe space for fans to wholeheartedly express themselves.
Gracie’s music is impressively expressive, audibly stunning, with lyrics that are simple and raw, yet eloquent and poetic, and has clearly connected to many across the world. Her vocals are also soft, sweet, smooth and clear. Proving that she’s a kind woman of many talents, Gracie performed throughout the night on both the guitar and keys with ease. On the piano, ‘Gave You I Gave You I’ was particularly notable, and ‘Let It Happen’ shone on the guitar.
There were also songs that gave Gracie the opportunity to just sing into a microphone and freely walk around the stage without an instrument. During my personal favourite Gracie Abrams song ‘Mess It Up’, she used this time to accept gifts from fans on the floor including a handmade knitted Aussie flag with the tour name on it, a notebook full of drawings art and messages, and plushies! This lovely gesture was not limited to this song, as whenever she wasn’t playing on the keyboard or guitar, she was graciously being generous with her time sweetly taking photos, videos, selfies, and accepting fan gifts.
The highlight of the concert, however, was when Gracie Abrams took to the b-stage which appeared to be the replica of her old bedroom where she initially wrote a lot of her songs. Even in a large arena venue and with the help of soft lighting, Gracie managed to make Rod Laver Arena feel like an intimate and small room. Pulling out an instant film camera to take photos of every side of the Melbourne arena, Gracie made us feel comfortable and the moment personal, which I’m sure is no ordinary feat. Gracie then dedicated the surprise song ‘Right Now’ to fan Scarlet and her dad in the Melbourne crowd who she had received sweet gifts from, including a rose gold handmade guitar pick.
The bedroom b-stage was home to two more tracks, ‘I Knew It, I Know You’ and the popular ‘I Miss You, I’m Sorry’, with Gracie complimenting the fans surrounding her on their voices, to the point that they created a beautiful duet together.
Heading back to the main stage for her last few songs of the night, Gracie Abrams performed Taylor Swift collaborative track ‘us.’, the passionate ‘Free Now’ and signature ‘That’s So True’. However, the finale ‘Close to You’ was very special. Gracie just joyously held her microphone and jumped around happily on stage. Meanwhile, her Melbourne fans were doing the very same. On the floor, a dance circle could be seen, with everyone in the venue jumping around together with the music in pure bliss before uniting as one and making the circle disappear completely. It was just so wholesome and wonderful to witness.
The Secret Life of Us Tour is a surprisingly inclusive, loving, warm and comfortable music experience. With a minimal stage set up, it was always going to be more about the music. Whether you had a bow in your hair or not, being at Rod Laver Arena with the wonderful Gracie Abrams, with the way that she openly wore her heart on her sleeve and affectionately addressed her Melbourne audience throughout the night, you really felt like you were part of something pure and special. And the feeling was mutual for Gracie too, concluding to her adoring crowd, “Melbourne, you’re an actual dream”.
Gracie Abrams performed her first of three sold-out Melbourne concerts at Rod Laver Arena on Friday the 9th of May. She has two more shows in Melbourne on the Saturday the 10th and Sunday the 11th of May before heading to Adelaide’s Adelaide Entertainment Centre on Tuesday May 13th. Gracie will then conclude the Australian leg in Perth for two nights at RAC Arena on the 16th and 17th of May.
For more information and ticketing, visit:
https://www.frontiertouring.com/gracieabrams
https://www.instagram.com/gracieabrams
Photography by Abby Waisler.
