I can’t believe how long it’s been since I wrote a concert review. I was impressed by Pink’s Vegas-style show in 2019, so I had to go back! This time, I celebrated my mom’s birthday and we saw the first North American stop on Pink’s Summer Carnival tour. Fans of all ages attended and I feel old thinking about how I’ve been listening to Pink for 20 years.
It was my first time returning to the Rogers Centre since Taylor Swift’s reputation tour. I understand the logistics of planning a stadium tour to let more fans access the show at once. However, even with amazing seats in the 100-level, I was still far away from the stage. Last time, I was in the 5th row in the 100-level at Scotiabank Arena and my ticket cost less than half for a closer view. This is not just commentary on inflation. It’s about how you can score great tickets at the Rogers Centre and still be disappointed.
I was so excited when I saw that Grouplove was an opener. They played Tongue Tied and Ways To Go, which are among my favourite alternative songs. They should have played Welcome To Your Life too. If they want to grow their audience, they should focus on playing recognizable hits.
It’s funny because Grouplove was featured in an iPod Touch commercial and I thought about the iconic iPod ads after Pink’s show. She had too many graphics of dancing silhouettes when I would have preferred to see her onscreen.
Pink made an energetic entrance with Get This Party Started and left after her epic finale when she flew around during So What. However, the setlist could use some edits. With her massive archive, I would have loved to see more of her own songs than covers of Sade and Bob Dylan. The Arkells have been doing old school covers at recent shows like ABBA’s Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight) but that was more of a dance party moment that everyone loved and they later released on Spotify. I also wish Pink performed my 5th most played song on iTunes, Don’t Let Me Get Me, but I guess it’s too angsty for a tour.
I’m very picky about style and loved ALL of Pink’s tour costumes. In pink, silver and black, she was sparkly, badass and pretty all at once while matching most of the crowd. I hoped the tour program would capture her outfits, but it features a different kind of photo shoot. It’s not what I expected, but I bought it anyway as the latest addition to my magazine collection.
It’s so fun when you know you’re in exactly the right place to watch one of the most talented pop stars perform for 2 hours. Pink made a few jokes about pandemic life that made her appreciate free sweatpants from Roots, but her joke about her makeup only lasting for 3 songs was the most relatable. I’d rather feel like a hot mess and have a good time than sit at home!
Find the whole setlist here.