The radar had said there would be little to no rain, only a small chance of light showers. That was a lie. We had been standing on the general admission lawn–now a mudslide–in roughly the same spot for eleven hours. People did jumping jacks for warmth, staring up at the large hanging screens displaying Zara Larsson‘s set taking place only a few hundred yards away. It was dreary, and no one really wanted to be there. But we all stuck around for the big headlining act of the night. Billed for night two of All Things Go, was The Hayley Williams Show. When Larsson finished her set and everyone else migrated to our stage, the lights went up.
One by one, Hayley and her band appeared while silhouetted by backlight. White drapes flowed freely from the rafters. It all looked very elegant, that illusion didn’t fade when the music finally started. This performance made standing in the rain worth it. 10/10. For both Hayley and the rest of her band. If you are familiar with Hayley William’s solo career outside of Paramore, you can get a good idea of the energy of the show. An eclectic mix of slower and moodier pop songs intercut with happier and more upbeat ones rooted in some of that classic Paramore sound. Williams bounced from instrument to instrument between songs; sometimes swapping mid-chord. Even though this was one of the final stops on a long festival run, they didn’t seem burnt out or tired in the slightest. It felt like they were on their first show of the tour. Every song, and every moment between songs, felt new and impromptu.
By the time the music was over, the lights had gone out and the band had left; everyone was wishing they hadn’t. This was only the first day of the two I was able to attend. As we all filed out of the arena, I knew the artists the next day would have fun following that up. I may have bought this ticket only to see Hayley Williams, but with how great the event was I plan to go again no matter the line up. For a fuller review of All Things Go as a whole, there will be an article on our website soon.
