Attending a Paramore concert for the first time feels like you’re entering an extremely friendly club for emo and rock fans of all kinds. It’s a club that didn’t exist in high school, but you wish that it did. If it had, you’d have the freedom to embrace your true interests without being pigeonholed into what a rock fan is supposed to like. None of that matters at a Paramore show, though.
During the group’s concert at State Farm Arena Thursday night, they proved to the neophytes and longtime Paramore lovers alike why they’ve been able to build a diverse community of fans for roughly 20 years.
Before Paramore’s set even begins, fans bounce to the likes of Teena Marie and D’Angelo. And before that, the crowd grooves to Ghanaian-Australian singer Genesis Owusu and London rock band Bloc Party, the show’s openers. Inside Paramore’s big-ticket alternative music universe, all races, ages, sounds, sexual orientation and gender identities are welcome to the dance floor.
Credit: Ryan Fleisher
Credit: Ryan Fleisher
It’s hard to imagine that lead singer Hayley Williams was only 16 when Paramore released their debut album “All We Know is Falling.” In Atlanta, at 34, the Mississippi native approached the stage with the fervor of a beloved performer who never wants to lose the bliss and carefree spirit of a child. Donning blonde hair with bright orange tips, a blue two-piece suit, and metallic silver eyeshadow that glistens on her face like cupcake sprinkles, Williams dazzles with dance moves that any other 34-year-old may envy.
The band opens with “You First,” a track from their latest album “This is Why” (their first one in five years). Throughout the song, Williams jumps, kicks and often screams in her piercing soprano just in case you forgot (or needed to learn) just how animated she can get with each note, even when performing a new song. Confetti erupts from the stage at the end of the track. Paramore’s party has just begun.
Paramore’s momentum builds with songs like the fan favorite “That’s What You Get” from the band’s 2007 LP “Riot!,” and “Caught in the Middle.” Williams’ voice, Taylor York’s alluring guitar riffs and Zac Farro’s booming drums seamlessly intersect as if they’re each the same sound. Shortly after, Williams takes a break to acknowledge Atlanta’s support throughout the years.
“Atlanta, is that you? ... No matter what venue we’re in (here), you always remind us of what it felt like to go to shows even before we even started the band, and it’s always emotional,” she said.
Credit: Ryan Fleisher
Credit: Ryan Fleisher
The set hits a funkier stride, backed by Williams’ infectious two-step dance moves, with “Rose-Colored Boy” before the singer glides into a cover of Whitney Houston’s 1987 hit “I Wanna Dance with Somebody” that almost sounds like it would perfectly pair with a Soul Train line. Paramore’s funk and R&B influences couldn’t be more apparent in that moment. Paramore briefly transitions to a more subtle vibe on an elevated stage with a cloudy backdrop to perform the visceral ballad “Liar” and Williams’ own “Crystal Clear” from the singer’s 2020 solo debut “Petals for Amor.” Her triumphant vocal range becomes more searing with each drum kick.
Paramore picks up the pace and returns to the high-energy action with an explosive take on “Hard Times.” Williams literally ends up on the floor at the end as she’s guided by wherever her dancing takes her. She dances with the mic, or dances without the mic, in a vibrant manner reminiscent of the pantheon of rock music’s leading ladies. Simple dance moves can feel gargantuan when paired with gritty, powerful vocals. On stage, Williams is clearly a student of Tina Turner’s enticingly frenetic showmanship.
Credit: Ryan Fleisher
Credit: Ryan Fleisher
And if Williams’ dancing doesn’t prove that, then her performance of “Told You So” that pivots to a snippet of Turner’s breakthrough smash “What’s Love Got to Do With It?” should say it all. Turner, the undisputed queen of rock & roll, died on Wednesday at the age of 83.
“I would have never thought I could be in a band like Paramore if it wasn’t for Tina Turner,” Williams said.
Williams’ stunning vocal prowess on hits like “The Only Exception” and “Misery Business” demonstrated exactly why she feels that way. Instead of flagging after an hour of singing, her voice somehow becomes even stronger toward the end of the concert. The delightful bridge on the former song sounds as potent as the original recording.
Credit: Ryan Fleisher
Credit: Ryan Fleisher
Paramore’s set ended with “This is Why,” the trippy, pop-punk lead single from their latest album. But before they leave the stage, the band embraces the crowd that exemplified their diverse and dedicated fanbase.
“Thank you for making this a community where people feel safe and welcomed,” Williams said.
