Abbie Klein
On Sept. 30, Gracie Abrams performed a sold out show at the Coca-Cola Roxy Theatre as a part of her The Secret of Us Tour. This was Abrams fourth headline tour and her third time in Atlanta as a headliner. Abrams’ first time in Atlanta was in 2021 as a part of her I Miss You, I’m Sorry Tour. Since then she has released two albums, opened for multiple shows on Taylor Swift’s The Eras Tour and been nominated for “Best New Artist” in the 2024 Grammys. Her rapid success has been reflective in the improvement of her performance quality on this tour.
This was my third time seeing Abrams. The first time I saw her was in 2023 at The Eastern as a part of her Good Riddance Tour and then again as an opener for The Eras Tour at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Both times I had a good experience and was already impressed with her ability to perform well in such different venues but The Secret of Us Tour has shown how much her confidence in her performance ability has grown.
I have always thought that Abrams’ live vocals are incomparable to the recorded versions. She holds so much emotion in her voice that is so powerful when heard live. She often does note changes and holds certain notes differently than the recorded versions of her songs to show off her vocal range and the control she has. A lot of these changes became iconic parts of her shows and something fans look forward to hearing. The most popular change she does is in her song “I Know it Won’t Work.” Fans were such a fan of the emotion in the live version of the song that she released a new recording of the song, “I Know it Won’t Work- Live,” in 2023 on streaming platforms.
Abrams has expressed her love for intimate shows numerous times in the past because it gives her the ability to connect with the audience more easily. But because of her expanding fanbase, it’s difficult to continue to hold such small shows. The Coca-Cola Roxy holds over 3,500 people, which is double the crowd from her last headline show in Atlanta. Despite the growth, Abrams still tries to keep the shows intimate by interacting with as many people as possible. Whether that be by constantly waving to fans in all parts of the crowd or reading signs people bring, it’s not rare for fans to share a moment with the singer at one of her shows.
One of the highlights of this show was the surprise song part of the set. Abrams has a long discography with two albums, two EPs and several singles that have been released in between. For this tour, she decided to sing every song on her newest album The Secret of Us along with 8 other songs from previous works. Every night she sings a different song acoustically which gives fans the chance to hear their favorite song that may have not made it onto the setlist. I was lucky enough to hear her play my favorite song, “Difficult” which she has not played since her Good Riddance Tour. It was such a special moment for me and everyone in the audience.
I have always had a good time at a Gracie Abrams concert and this most recent show has only solidified that. I am looking forward to the next time Abrams comes to Atlanta and to see her continue to grow as an artist.