On Tuesday night, downtown Indianapolis was packed as fans swarmed Gainbridge Fieldhouse for a much-anticipated show: P!nk. There was a hustle and bustle of excited moms and daughters alike, all eager for the show to start. Outside, a lone saxophonist played the opening notes to P!nk’s own “So What.”
GROUPLOVE
Grouplove opened for P!nk at Gainbridge for a packed show. Much of the room was dressed in pink, of course, with sequins and feathers a common theme as well.
Grouplove, a large band with two singers, had great energy on stage, with the two frontmen running and jumping around. They played a short set and while it seemed for a bit as though the crowd didn’t really know them, there was a huge pop when they played one of their biggest hits, “Tongue Tied.” I even heard the women behind me say, “Oh, I know who they are now!” The band kept up their energy throughout the set, with the female singer doing lots of hair flips and the make singer running down the catwalk. There were several times in which the singers gave little speeches, promoting random acts of kindness in a time of loneliness and thanking the crowd for supporting live music. The biggest applause was, of course, when they asked if the crowd was ready for P!nk.
P!NK
While P!nk did come on stage 35 minutes later than expected, crowd members found it well worth the wait. The singer entered the stage from the ceiling, dropping down on a bungee cord while belting out the words to “Get the Party Started.” She landed in her sparkly pink bodysuit and matching six-inch heels and transitioned easily into “Raise Your Glass.” The crowd went insane, awed by the production value, sound quality, and frequent outfit changes.
Throughout her set, P!nk continued to surprise and wow the crowd with her various aerial stunts, costume-clad backup dancers, and pyrotechnics. Several songs included enchanting interpretive dance numbers. The singer was also great at interacting with the crowd, at one point accepting friendship bracelets from someone in the front row, at another point wishing a couple congratulations on their 37th wedding anniversary.
In another surprise, P!nk brought out her 12-year-old daughter Willow for collaboration on the song “Cover Me In Sunshine,” starting with the story of recording it for the first time at home during the Covid-19 lockdown. It was an incredibly sweet moment to see mother and daughter sing together before P!nk hugged Willow at the end of the song and sent her on her way.
I had two favorite parts of the show. The first was during the song “TRUSTFALL” off of her newest album, in which four men did acrobatics off of trampolines on the back of the stage while P!nk sang. It seemed totally unreal, and I was transfixed by every moment of it. They simply stole that part of the show with their movements.
My other favorite part was during the encore, in which P!nk sang “So What” and literally flew around the room with the help of bungee cords once more. My mouth was hanging open in shock and elation as she flew up towards the ceiling. It was unlike anything I’ve ever seen.
Overall, P!nk’s show was colorful, upbeat, and energetic. It was a show like no other, and I truly believe it will be difficult for any concert to top this experience in my mind.
THE GOOD:
- The overall production value of the show was insane. The aerial stunts, the lights, the pyrotechnics, the costumes, and the graphics were incredible.
- P!nk’s outfits were amazing. How was she running down the catwalk in those six-inch heels?
- P!nk’s daughter Willow was adorable and a pleasant surprise.
THE NOT-SO-GOOD:
- Energy was low for Grouplove, but picked up during their most popular song and when they mentioned the main act.
- P!nk came on 35 minutes late. Despite this, she finished close to the original stated time, so it wasn’t too bad.