This past weekend, I was lucky enough to attend Lizzy Mcalpine’s “The Older Tour”! This was her third show of the tour, playing at WAMU Theater in Downtown Seattle. I have been a fan of Lizzy for years, so I was thrilled for the opportunity to see her in concert. However, I was slightly skeptical about what it would be like, as this tour has had quite a bit of speculation from fans.
This tour is highlighting Lizzy’s newest album, “Older”, which is considerably different from her sophomore album, “five seconds flat.” Many fans are disappointed with the slower style of “Older,” and are upset that she is not playing very many of her more popular songs from the previous album. I know many people who have mentioned their dislike of this newer album, and some have even sold their concert tickets out of lack of interest.
All this to say, I went into this concert not knowing what to expect! I personally was a bit disappointed by the low energy of the album at first, but over the last few weeks have grown to really appreciate this new sound. As I took the time to learn the words and stories behind these songs, I quickly learned to love many of them- my favorite being “You Forced Me To” (which I later learned at the concert she wrote & produced entirely herself!)
Once arriving at the concert, I was blown away by the musicianship and pure talent that Lizzy and her band put into this show. The stage was set as a cozy living room studio, creating the casual atmosphere of a few friends playing songs together that they love. While it wasn’t an overly theatrical pop performance, it was one of the most raw and real concerts I’ve ever been to.
Other than playing the entirety of the “Older” album, Lizzy also snuck in a few surprises along the way. After making her way through the first half of the album, we got an exciting performance of “doomsday”, the opening track to her sophomore album. The next surprise came just before “You Forced Me To,” as Lizzy sang a remarkable cover of “The Winner Takes It All,” by Abba. After singing “March,” Lizzy followed it with “chemtrails,” a similarly themed song from her sophomore album about her late father. Lastly, before finishing the album off with its final track “Vortex,” we were teased with an unreleased song titled, “Force of Nature.”
Now if you’re a fan of Lizzy Mcalpine you must be thinking: “she didn’t play ceilings?!”, as this is exactly what the audience was thinking as she walked off. But after a short disappearance, Lizzy was back on stage, by herself this time, for an encore. As she sat down with her guitar, fans were thrilled as she unexpectedly started playing “all my ghosts,” a beloved song from her last album and one of my personal favorites! Lizzy even forgot the words during the second verse saying, “Literally what are the words, I haven’t played this in so long!” And finally, to wrap up the night, the rest of her band came back out on stage to give the long-awaited performance of “ceilings,” the huge hit of her last album after going viral on TIkTok in 2023.
Overall, I had an amazing experience at this show! If you’re seeking out talented musicians with stories to tell, this is a tour you won’t want to miss. However, if you go in expecting a pop concert with a moshpit- you’ll be disappointed. I would recommend getting tickets with seats so you can sit back, relax, and listen to Lizzy’s story! I personally think she did a great job at balancing her previous hits with the new album (she can’t play every single song people!) After all it is called “The Older Tour”- she’s there to play the “Older” album. If you go in with that mindset you’ll be sure to have the best time!