Less than a year and a half ago, Gracie Abrams was performing in venues the size of Melkweg. Following the success of her second album, The Secret of Us, she is now playing a sold-out tour in major venues like Ziggo Dome. Is this a step too big for Gracie so early in her career? Or does she manage to hold her own in a packed-to-the-brim Ziggo Dome?
Text & photo: Sanne de Vos
The venue is filled to capacity, mostly with teenagers and young adults wearing ribbons in their hair as Ariana Grande’s We Can’t Be Friends plays over the speakers. The crowd sings along at the top of their lungs. Fittingly, the lights go out just after the line: “Me and my truth, we sit in silence.”
The band starts Felt Good About You, and we see Gracie Abrams appear on the screens next to the stage. It takes a moment to realize she’s already on stage, singing from behind a screen on an elevated platform. A shame, as it takes away some of the anticipation that comes with a pop star’s grand entrance. But the fans don’t seem to mind, they sing along regardless.
That much is clear when Gracie finally steps forward and, armed with her acoustic guitar, plays Risk, the lead single from her latest album, The Secret of Us. This album has been instrumental in her rise to success. It’s no surprise, then, that she performs 14 songs from the album at Ziggo Dome, almost the entire deluxe edition, with just two songs missing.
Every now and then, she plays a song from her debut album or an earlier EP. These older tracks are sung along just as enthusiastically as the new ones. Songs like Rockland and I Know It Won’t Work are greeted with excited cheers as soon as fans recognize them—often within a fraction of a second.
Technical difficulties
Unfortunately for Gracie, her Ziggo Dome show is plagued by a few technical issues. Midway through the set, a crackling sound frequently comes through the speakers. She also struggles with her in-ear monitors. After performing the fan-requested Packing It Up, she admits she couldn’t hear herself while playing the piano. But she remains unfazed and handles the technical setbacks with grace.
For the biggest solo tour of her career so far, Gracie Abrams knows how to put on a show. Undoubtedly, she has picked up a thing or two about large-scale international tours after opening for her musical mentor, Taylor Swift, last year. Fans have also brought a tradition from the Eras Tour to The Secret of Us Tour. At one point, Gracie is nearly buried in friendship bracelets with song lyrics on them while standing on the B-stage.
Beyond the two side screens, a massive screen hangs behind an elevated platform at the back of the stage, surrounded by lights. The stage lighting is carefully designed to enhance the signature singalong moments.
A star in the making or already there?
Towards the end of the set, Gracie moves to a B-stage at the edge of the golden circle. It’s a replica of her childhood bedroom, complete with a bed and nightstands. This setting holds great significance for her—and for longtime fans who joined her earliest concerts via Zoom during the pandemic. It’s only fitting that she plays I Miss You, I’m Sorry on the piano here, a song for which she even recorded the music video in her actual bedroom.
Over the past year, Gracie Abrams has skyrocketed in popularity. Her collaborations with Taylor Swift and viral TikTok trends have undoubtedly played a role in this rise. Yet, despite being relatively early in her career and facing technical hiccups, she holds her own impressively in the massive Ziggo Dome. From start to finish, she keeps the audience engaged, with every word sung along—even up in the highest sections of the venue.
Even after an hour and a half of singing at full volume, the young crowd has enough breath left to scream every word of her hit That’s So True and enough energy to jump along to the closing song, Close to You.
