On Thursday night in Brooklyn, all the young rock fans were tucked under the Kosciuszko Bridge watching Turnstile’s new album release show. On Saturday, swarms of Gen Zers came to see Olivia Rodrigo headline Governors Ball in Queens. I can’t attest to how much overlap there was in the crowds, but even if the audiences were diametrically different, the message was similar: guitar music is alive with the kids.Rodrigo doesn’t fall into the same category as Turnstile, of course, nor would many argue she’s the heir to Gov Ball rock alumni like The Killers, The Strokes, or Jack White. Her performance was arguably closer to them, however, than Lizzo, Billie Eilish, or other pop acts who have topped the fest’s bill.
Headlining her first major US festival and the first of the new-gen “pop girlies” to be booked in such a slot (Sabrina Carpenter headlined Outside Lands 2024, but as a fill-in for Tyler, the Creator after her spring/summer “Espresso” explosion), the Sour superstar exemplified the modern form of the festival headliner. She’s booked a number of similar spots around the world all summer, from Lollapalooza to Glastonbury. While it’s not the sort of billing that portends a night of head-banging, old-heads disgruntled at the lack of rock acts closing out multi-genre festivals have reason to be encouraged.
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Related VideoWhere your typical pop headline will bring elaborate stage constructions and/or intricate dance routines, Rodrigo brought a full band and pyro. Her set mirrored any number of classic rock acts: two ramps on either side of the stage, and a runway into the crowd. On “love is embarrassing,” she was joined by her two guitarists and bassist at the front, and they traded off taking post on those ramps, running about and screaming towards the hyped-up crowd.
Yes, it was all quite choreographed, but plenty of rock bands have the same pre-determined positions. Besides, as a nominal pop star putting on rock aesthetics, Rodrigo leaning into this simple yet trademark iconography still earns respect.Olivia Rodrigo, photo by Ben Kaye
And as a rock star, Rodrigo ate. Crawling towards her guitarist on “pretty isn’t pretty,” basking in the solo; strapping on an axe herself during opener “obsessed” as fireworks exploded behind her. When she came out for the encore with “brutal,” it turned into a metal show, all pummeling riffs and screens filled with flames.
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She ate as a pop star, too, to be fair. Her banter was sweet and sincere (“I kinda think of my life as before and after this song, which is kinda crazy,” she said before “drivers license”), and softer turns like “traitor” saw her taking center stage with an acoustic guitar.
The big moment for older attendees was the arrival of David Byrne toward the end of the main set. Dressed in red overalls to match Rodrigo’s own two-piece look, the New York City icon and the young starlet did a duet of Talking Heads’ “Burning Down the House.” She clearly was getting a kick out of the kooky, Byrne-ian choreo, and even if a large portion of nearby youth was confused by the elder musician’s presence, it all added to Rodrigo’s bona fides.
The lasting impression was that of a rock musician — more No Doubt Gwen Stefani than Love. Angel. Music. Baby. No one is going to confuse Rodrigo with Joan Jett or Karen O or a Deal sibling, but perhaps she’s not far off from a Hayley Williams. Williams, incidentally, made a guest appearance at that Turnstile show on Thursday. And while we’re talking about it, Rodrigo had The Breeders open for her previous four-night headlining stint at Madison Square Garden. That kind of nod to alternative rock canon shows Rodrigo is not just borrowing rock aesthetics — she’s actively curating a rock-forward experience for her fans.
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For an older generation of fans, maybe seeing Olivia Rodrigo headlining so many bills this year is another sign of the landscape shifting away from the festival experience they grew up on. That’s not invalid, but in a time when Turnstile is being championed for turning kids onto guitar music again, then an act like Olivia Rodrigo bringing her pop version of rock to the masses like this deserves flowers as well.
Maybe in another generation, the major festival rock headliners will be owing their inspiration to her — the pop star who performed like a rock star.
See a full photo gallery of Olivia Rodrigo’s Governors Ball headlining performance below.
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