Tonight, the biggest, brightest supermoon of the year hangs over Sydney like an omen, casting its glow over a city already buzzing with anticipation. And what better night for Olivia Rodrigo to kick off her run of shows here? Her rise has been nothing short of celestial—a swift, blazing ascent that feels both unstoppable and inevitable.
The unofficial dress code for the evening is clear: mini skirts, boots, and attitude. It’s a sea of mothers and daughters sharing a generational bond through music, shoulder to shoulder with dads doing their best to blend in. One, sporting a purple cowboy hat, catches my eye—he shifts awkwardly, as if unsure how he ended up here but already loving it.
The pre-show soundtrack fills the space with a sly nod to the past: Joan Jett’s “Bad Reputation” and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ “Heads Will Roll” blast through the speakers. It’s a reminder that the women who set the stage on fire years ago still have their fingerprints all over today’s music. The air hums with nostalgia and rebellion—Rodrigo is both torchbearer and trailblazer, carrying that legacy forward.
When the lights dim and Rodrigo finally takes the stage, the room erupts. The sight of young girls, fists raised, rocking out to guitar-heavy anthems feels like a revolution in real time. In an era of bedroom pop and algorithms, Rodrigo’s show is a love letter to rock’s unpolished spirit, reminding us that distorted guitars and emotional catharsis will never go out of style.
