Concert Reviews

“Being here with all of you feels like coming home,” Abrams, wearing a Boston Red Sox hat, told the sold-out crowd at MGM Music Hall in Fenway. “New England is home.”

After a rocky start to the week, in which a vocal injury forced her to reschedule shows in New York and Philadelphia, Gracie Abrams found solace — and her voice again — in Boston.

During Wednesday’s sold-out show at MGM Music Hall in Fenway, the 25-year-old pop singer honestly didn’t need her voice, considering how loud her fans screamed almost every lyric.

Yet there was no doubt that her microphone was on.

From the sultry, haunting vocals of songs like “I Miss You, I’m Sorry” and “Good Luck Charlie” to songs with more intensity like “Risk” and “Blowing Smoke,” Abrams didn’t shy away from unleashing the power to show. and control over her voice.

A kinship with New England

“Being here with all of you feels like coming home,” she said, donning a Boston Red Sox hat. “New England is my home.”

Although she was born and raised in Los Angeles — the daughter of filmmaker JJ Abrams and former political aide Katie McGrath — Abrams has felt a kinship with New England since childhood. She said her family would often travel to Boston and then drive to Maine, where relatives on her mother’s side live.

“Not only has Boston been a super important place in my life, just growing up and family and all that, but some of my favorite shows we’ve ever played have been here,” she said.

The singer-songwriter has had quite a year so far, with highlights including a Grammy nomination for Best New Artist; the release of her second album, “The Secret of Us,” in June; and performing “Everywhere, Everything” with Noah Kahan as a special guest at one of his sold-out Fenway Park shows in July. The latter included a live stream for even more viewers than the park could handle, and their performance also made the cut for his album ‘Live from Fenway Park’.

Abrams described the experience at Fenway as “one of the greatest moments of my life,” adding that she believes Kahan is “the beating heart of New England.”

The set list for this tour is identical from show to show, with the exception of an unreleased song and a surprise song at each stop. In Boston these were “That’s So True” and “Augusta” respectively.

“I’ve been mentioning Boston in my songs for a long time,” Abrams said before taking the keys to perform “Augusta,” with the opening line: “It feels like maybe I’m going to Boston.”

Despite the sad nature of many of her songs, Abrams kept the energy high, switching from guitar to microphone to keyboard, filling the space in every part of the stage and interacting with fans at every turn. She also had four backing band members who provided keys, guitar, bass and drums.

Abrams invited her opener Role Model – a Maine native known for recent hits like “Look at that Woman” and “Deeply Still in Love” – back on stage toward the end of the show to join her in “Feels Like.” sing.

After expressing her love and gratitude for the singer, whose real name is Tucker Pillsbury, Abrams presented him with a crown and flowers, calling him the “Sexiest Man on Tour.” (In case you missed it, Pillsbury actively campaigned to be named People magazine’s Sexiest Man Alive.)

Standout moments

Although one of her top songs, “I Love You, I’m Sorry,” had the crowd seemingly at the loudest volume, it was “Tough Love” and “Close to You” that really struck a chord with Boston fans.

“This song is for you,” Abrams said as she began singing “Tough Love.” Images of Boston trains raced across the screen behind her before the opening lyrics: “I took the train to Boston and I wanted to cry.”

As she closed her encore with “Close to You,” Abrams thanked the audience one more time and said, “I love you from the bottom of my heart. This time together means more to me than I could ever tell you. This song in particular wouldn’t exist without you, and I’ve been waiting to sing it with you for seven years.”

Abrams, whose latest album features a collaboration with Taylor Swift, has opened for Swift dozens of times on the “Eras Tour” and will return for even more dates this fall.

Setlist for Gracie Abrams at MGM Music Hall in Fenway, October 9, 2024

• Felt Good About You (performed from stage)
• Risk
• Blowing smoke
• 21
• I love you, I’m sorry
• Where are we going now?
• Gave you I gave you I
• Screw it
• That’s So True (Unreleased Song)
• Augusta (surprise song)
• Good luck Charlie
• I knew it, I know you
• I know it won’t work
• Friend
• Normal thing
• Feels Like (with role model)
• Tough love
• Let it happen
• I miss you, I’m sorry
• Now free

Encore

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Heather Alterisio

Senior content producer

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Heather Alterisio, a senior content producer, joined Boston.com in 2022 after more than five years as a general assignment reporter at newspapers in Massachusetts.

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