'This Is Why' Paramore Continues to Evolve at Fiserv Forum

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Whether they’d like to admit it or not, most longtime fans of Paramore have literally grown up with the band. As their fanbase has matured, so has the current iteration of the band, as a trio (with a cast of touring performers.) However, while the days of sweating it out in Vans Warped Tour parking lots have passed, the band has shed its skin with age, rather than leaned on nostalgia to propel them forward. That strategy proved vital on Tuesday night, when they brought the This Is Why tour to a very full Fiserv Forum.

Openers The Linda Lindas and Foals set the tone for the night, with the former ultimately being hailed as “the future” by Paramore frontwoman Hayley Williams. The young band would put all of the grit that they could muster into their set, and be followed by the perpetual jangly party that Foals would provide. In a way, both represented a similar feeling of both the older and newer versions of the night’s headliners. What would follow, though, would bring all of that together and more.

Paramore came out with a bang, albeit a muted one, after having to restart opening song “You First” due to an incident in the general admission pit towards the front of the stage. Unintentionally, it would set the tone for the night. Williams caught the distress of a fan, and made sure everything was safe before kickstarting the show once again. Throughout the night, she would share messages about taking care of others in between songs, and referred to the crowd as “family” multiple times. There was a sense of community onstage as well, as the band turned inward, with all seven performers onstage turning inward to jam on tracks together at times. This version of the band has only been playing together for around a year, those moments may have been just as important for them as they were for the crowd.

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While it was visibly apparent that Paramore are not the same band, the setlist would also make that abundantly clear. Over the course of two hours, all but two tracks from This Is Why made the set, rather than opting to focus on the angstier version of the band that made a name for themselves in the first decade of the millennium. It would all play well to a crowd now involving multiple generations of fans, many of whom only know the later material. The combination of Williams, guitarist Taylor York and drummer Zac Farro were a constant force, though, maintaining the stage presence that the band has thrived on for nearly two decades.

Williams served the roles of both frontwoman and guide through the night, taking time to address the Fiserv Forum crowd whenever she saw fit. The stage banter wasn’t extended much, but when it was, it had a purpose. She thanked fans for sticking with the band throughout their run, and would recount how the three remaining original members all met while introducing them. She would also extend her political hopes for the crowd, something that a younger Williams might not do, advising them all to vote and making a pinky promise with the crowd to not elect people that restrict the rights of others before performing “Big Man, Little Dignity.” If there was a way to create intimacy in a 17,000+ seat venue, she certainly found a way to do it.

The band would also acknowledge their fissures, even if for just a little bit, at various points in the night. While songs from their self-titled album like “Caught In The Middle” address those moments of contention head-on, Williams, York and Farro would take to an elevated stage midway through the show for three songs, including “Crystal Clear” from Williams’ 2020 solo album Petals For Armor. Farro would later take the frontman responsibilities for “Baby,” a song from his band HalfNoise. While both are in the greater universe that is Paramore, they were only momentary detours before getting back to the band as a whole.

Finally, the band would embrace their former selves, with Williams asking to take a trip down memory lane, but “just the good parts.”  That would close out the night, with “Misery Business” featuring a young, shy fan on stage to sing the bridge, and 2013 smash “Ain’t It Fun” closing out the main portion of their set. After a video montage of the band recording This Is Why, they would return for an encore of “Still Into You,” which Williams dedicated to the band, and the 2023 album’s title track to put a button on it all, complete with confetti raining down on the arena.

If there was any message that Paramore were trying to send with this tour, it’s that they are very much not the same band they once were, and that is okay. In fact, it’s propelled them to the arena level with a newfound confidence and renewed momentum. You can get old, or you can mature gracefully, and thankfully on Tuesday night, it was the latter.