After being gifted tickets to Olivia Rodrigo’s Guts tour for my birthday in October, I clipped the ticket neatly in the corner of my bulletin board. Daily, I glanced at the ticket that had the date set for March 6, 2024. It seemed so far away, yet soon five months passed, and I was in Miami, facing the stage Olivia Rodrigo would perform on.
When I first arrived at the Kaseya Center, I immediately recognized the hundreds of people who were dressed in Olivia’s iconic color palette of purples, blacks, and reds embellished in shimmering glitters that were making their way inside the stadium. Ranging from young children to teenagers to supportive moms and dads, the room radiated the type of excitement that makes you feel ready to celebrate your favorite artist.
As I looked around the large stadium, every single seat seemed to be filled. The people surrounding me buzzed with an overwhelming anticipation as we all patiently waited for a sign that the show was about to begin. Suddenly, the lights dimmed and everyone rose on their two feet. Hundreds of phones propped over the seats, ready to record Olivia’s entrance.
A black and white video began to play with the sound and the lights blinking like the beating of a heart. After a few seconds, all of the spotlights directed to the center of the stage, and Olivia Rodrigo appeared. Roaring screams of people cheering intensified as she sang “bad idea right?” to open the show. Before continuing with more tracks, she welcomed everyone and thanked them for coming out to her show and reminded us to spill our guts.
With every song she sang, the audience sang it at the top of their lungs. Songs about hurt, betrayal, anger, and jealousy made everyone pour their hearts out into every gut-wrenching lyric. Along with Olivia on stage were her amazingly talented background dancers who danced passionately and with unusual moves never seen before.
To the absolute surprise of everyone, Olivia made it known that there was a reason why the night was special. Dedicated to all fans of The Hunger Games movies, she debuted a performance of “Can’t Catch Me Now,” which left everyone speechless and singing even louder than before, making the night an extra special one.
Not only did Olivia have stunning outfit changes that sparkled and shined the whole night, but she also left the audience speechless with another beautiful visual. Going up almost 100 feet in the air, she sat on a crescent moon that took her 360 degrees around the arena, allowing her to wave at and interact with the crowd.
The whole night was spent stomping, jumping, and screaming to Rodrigo’s powerful and meaningful lyrics. Fueled by her encouragement to think about the things in life that fill us with anger and sadness, she expressed every emotion through her songs.
After a fulfilling night of singing and dancing, Olivia thanked everyone for coming and walked down to the pit to celebrate with her fans and collect the many flowers, hats, and other gifts her fans brought her. Kissing the camera for her final goodbyes, she concluded yet another successful night.
I, among other fans, exited the arena with a healed heart, as if Olivia’s concert was some type of therapy. Inside and outside the building, the merchandise trunks were parked with lines flowing for everyone who wished to purchase memorabilia as a keepsake for the night. With a variety ranging from hoodies to hats, I decided on bringing home a Guts poster and a graphic t-shirt as my souvenir.
After 2 hours of screaming, dancing, and shouting, Olivia put on an unforgettable show for everyone. Leaving her crowd in tears and with what felt like healed hearts, her impressive stage presence and lyrical genius had the ability to leave Miami with great satisfaction. At only 21 years old, Olivia has become an absolute rock star that has been able to captivate her massive audience and leave them spilling their guts.
