By Kyle Brown
Opening for P!nk at PNC Park in Pittsburgh, PA was Grouplove and Brandi Carlile.
Grouplove, a 5 person Indie-pop group from LA, sang a number of songs one can easily get up and dance to. The two lead singers were fun to watch with great vocal abilities and interactions with one another. The set was very energetic and a great choice to open the night.
What is there to be said about Brandi Carlile that hasn’t been said already? Dressed in a bright yellow outfit that fit Pittsburgh, Carlile performed on acoustic and electric guitars, as well as some piano. Carlile, who last played in Pittsburgh in 2015, mentioned how big the crowd was for her set, seeming genuinely surprised and stoked. A few songs from her set included the 2023 Grammy Award winning best rock song, “Broken Horses“, and covers of “Creep” and “Woodstock“.
Grammy Award winning singer – songwriter P!nk took the stage just after 9:00pm and may have one of the best entrances to start a set in recent memory. Appearing high above the stage, lips opened up revealing P!nk inside. With her song, “Get the Party Started“, the singer would then bungee down to join the rest of her band and dancers after some flips.
The set, divided into four acts, was something to take in as itself. From aerial acrobatics, to trampolines, flamingo scooters, and stairs P!nk nearly fell on. It was a packed carnival. During act two, P!nk sat down to play on the piano. Before she could even begin, a latternfly flew into P!nk’s chin. The run in led to a shriek and a small freak out where she claimed “beetle abuse”. P!nk would go on to joke that she enjoys camping, but it’s more enjoyable with some beers in her. A second one hit her back and landed on the piano as she “made friends” with it during a cover of Bob Dylan’s “Make You Feel My Love“. The singer did mention it was not until she heard Adele’s version that she really began to love the song.
Between songs, P!nk was very fan friendly. The singer was very talkative, and even more so, easily distracted. That, in its own, was a show to die for. The 43 year-old spoke about her dad and what he wanted to be reincarnated as, ate two Cheetos a fan had (which she loved), signed a few autographs (including a 21st birthday sign she claimed the fan probably won’t remember for obvious reasoning), called a fan a badass for playing girls hockey, and received multiple gifts from fans. Any time she heard an ” I love you”, she was quick to say it back. Even during a song.
P!nk was even quick to add the recent pop culture movie hit “Barbie” into her set. Asking the crowd if she was the “Weird Barbie” that many refer her to. She added, ” I always thought I’d be the drunk aunt Barbie, with a beer and ride on lawn mower.”
Among all of the fun, P!nk did take a moment to remember the late Sinead O’Connor, who passed on July 26th. Sinead, a dear friend to P!nk, was recognized with a rendition of “Nothing Compares 2 U“. Brandi Carlile also came out to perform it as a duo.
On a vocal side on things, P!nk soared through the notes and seemed effortless. The live performance sounded just as good as the radio version. During a cover of “Heartbreaker“, it was the band’s moment to shine. The song features a great opportunity for the guitarist and drummer to showcase their skills and have some Pop – Rock music fun.
Being an avid pyro, I really enjoyed the perfectly timed fire during “Just Like Fire” as well as the trampoline aspect for the song, “Trustfall” off the latest album released in February.
The ending to the two hour set was just as spectacular as the beginning. P!nk strapped herself into a harness and soared through the sky while singing “So What“. She went from one side of the stadium to the other, letting the audience at PNC Park get one last good look at her before fireworks were set off and the night came to an epic conclusion.
All in all, the Summer Carnival tour is exactly as expected. It was full of surprises on the set. The dancers had so many props dedicated to each song, a Cirque De Sole type of feel, dancers hanging from bananas, and P!nk being, well, P!nk. It made for a night full of laughter, loud singing, and a thunderous applause.
The tour supports her ninth studio album, Trustfall. The Philadelphia, PA native is the first female artist to headline PNC Park.
