Hayley Williams
w/ Water from Your Eyes
The Ryman Auditorium; Nashville, TN
April 25, 27, & 28
Review by Philip Obenschain. Photos by Zachary Gray, courtesy of the artist.
It’s been nearly six years since Hayley Williams would’ve played Nashville’s Brooklyn Bowl- then a brand new venue- on what was supposed to be her first-ever solo tour, in support of 2020’s debut full-length Petals for Armor. I- and I’m sure every Hayley fan, and certainly the singer herself- mourn for that lost era, which saw her branch out after more than 15 years of fronting beloved alt rock and pop punk outfit Paramore, with a captivating, deeply earnest, experimental, and bold LP of her own. The pandemic had other plans, though, and instead of a tour, Hayley made a second album, FLOWERS for VASES / descansos, released in 2021. Folkier, rawer, and more isolated, Williams’ sophomore record felt like the sonic opposite of her debut, and perfectly captured the melancholy and grief of the pandemic (channeled into processing her own feelings of depression and personal turmoil), and, notably, saw Daniel James (who Nashvillians might know for his indie/electro-folk project Canon Blue) take the helm as producer, a relationship which would extend to Hayley’s latest and most-acclaimed solo album to date, last year’s Ego Death at a Bachelorette Party. Kicking off an exciting new chapter of her solo artistry (which comes so many years after that would-be first start, because a whole Paramore album cycle happened in between, for 2023’s This Is Why), Ego Death is not just a liberating, revelatory, artistic triumph for the multifaceted musician, but has also been rapturously received, landing multiple Grammy nominations for Williams and James, and launching one of the the year’s most hotly-anticipated tours, bringing Hayley and her band to intimate venues around the country, including a trio of hometown area dates last week at Nashville’s iconic Ryman Auditorium. I was fortunate enough to attend the first and last nights of this captivating residency and- spoiler– they were every bit as incredible and powerful and artistically fulfilling as expected.
Before I dive into the show, I should note that I have neither the desire nor the ability to be particularly analytical or granular in “reviewing” this performance. I’ve come to believe that dissecting art like that feels kind of icky, so my preference is to document, to relay the vibes, to simply articulate my own experience and how a performance connected with me on a soul level. And, also, being around the same age as Williams, listening to Paramore for more than 20 years, watching them grow as a band and individuals throughout that time, and getting to know some of them a little through my years in writing, I’m just simply not an unbiased source here. But I digress. Ego Death came out of nowhere and absolutely walloped me last summer. It quickly became one of my most-played albums of the year, and I think it’s tied with After Laughter as my favorite thing Hayley has ever made (in a way, the two records feel in conversation with each other to me- especially in how Ego Death is so referential both to personal events that happened around the After Laughter era, and also in navigating Hayley’s relationship with Nashville, which she really seemed to be rediscovering around that time too). Needless to say, I’d been dying to see these songs played live, and I was elated to finally have the chance to, especially in a room as special as The Ryman.
I can’t tell you how many dozens and dozens of shows I’ve seen at the Mother Church over the years, but I’m not sure I’ve ever seen a longer merch line than the one I was greeted with as I took my seat- wrapped all the way around the length of the balcony (but also so polite and patient; Hayley Williams fans are so lovely). Opening the show were experimental pop-rockers Water from Your Eyes, who’ve been on my radar for a number of years, but who I always seem to miss whenever they’re in town. Performing a set mostly of songs from last year’s It’s a Beautiful Place, they were an excellent aesthetic compliment to Williams, channeling a fuzzy, sometimes shoegazing, punk-spirited art rock which sounded so nuanced and unique in such a sonically bright room. Frontperson Rachel Brown spent the first night joking about the band’s last show at The Ryman, supporting Spoon, and how they didn’t expect to play there again after it didn’t exactly connect, and the last night rocking a cowboy hat, promising it was Nashville “appreciation, not appropriation” (they also gave space to advocate for more serious issues, like trans rights and abolishing ICE). Their jovial attitude and unique, dreamy vocal style was perfectly complemented by bandmate Nate Amos’ jangly guitar work, and touring members Al Nardo and Bailey Wollowitz filled it all out wonderfully as a talented rhythm section. I always try to make a point of catching the opener, and I enjoyed Water from Your Eyes so much the first night, I was sure to be punctual the last night as well, and I’m definitely eager to catch them in a smaller space the next time they come through as headliners.
By the time Hayley’s start approached, The Ryman was packed, the shockingly-long merch line had begun to fizzle, and fans- many in bachelorette-inspired outfits in honor of the tour’s theme- were abuzz in their seats. The stage itself was also decorated with bachelorette and bridal theming, with white, flowy fabric draped from the ceiling and instrument tables, a big curtain in the back which would double as a screen for visuals throughout the night, and retro studio lights scattered about. As Williams and her band- guitarist Brian Robert Jones, bassist Joey Howard, keyboard player and guitarist Logan MacKenzie, and drummer Joey Mullen (all of whom should look familiar if you’ve seen Paramore live in recent years)- took the stage, the room erupted, and the performance kicked off when frenetic single “Mirtazapine” (fitting, since that’s also the very first song from this record Hayley debuted last year, through local public radio station WNXP). Each night saw the singer sport a different, unique opening look; the first- giant, extra-terrestrial-conjuring sunglasses, and the last- retro aviator attire (from her hair to her clothes to her production design, Hayley and her style partners have always been incredibly deliberate and creative in how she presents herself).
Featuring literally every song from Ego Death, the set was perfectly thought out in its dynamic ebb and flow, alternating between upbeat tunes, melancholy meditations, art pop anthems, and everything in between. Save for a few rare instances (like their Grand Ole Opry show a few years ago), Hayley never played guitar in Paramore, and previously expressed in interviews about not having the confidence to do so. I’m SO glad to see that that has changed with this tour, because it was so fun and liberating to see her rocking an instrument she’s long played in private (also switching to keyboard for a few songs, and the mic alone for many as well). Standout tracks from the record were just as captivating live, like the sharp and sardonic “Ice In My OJ” (that “I’m in a band, I’m in a band” chant was so electrifying in concert), the vibey and ’90s inspired “Glum,” and groovy and melancholy anthem “Good Ol’ Days,” and some of the songs that hadn’t popped out at me as much in recording took on a whole new dimension in person, like the hypnotic “Zissou” and wistful ballad “Blood Bros.” It’s hard to even highlight standout moments- even watching this whole show twice, Hayley and the band were absolutely mesmerizing from start to finish, and every single song sounded amazing.
Steps from the “racist country singer’s bar” in question from Ego Death‘s title track (“watch out for fucking flying chairs,” Hayley jokingly warned at one point), many of these songs felt especially poignant to hear live in the city that inspired them, and where Williams has spent most of her life. It’s a city full of memories and relationships and some uncomfortable growing pains, all of which the singer captures so evocatively in her lyrics, especially in “True Believer,” which laments a Nashville that no longer exists (I, too, miss The Muse) and indicts the hypocrisy and racist rise of white Christian nationalism throughout the south. Accentuating the point, Hayley ended that one, which she performed at the piano, with a bit of Nina Simone’s “Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood,” a powerful musical statement that spoke for itself.
While the performance had no shortage of epic and earnest moments, from sing-alongs to megaphone chants and illuminated phones, songs primed for dancing and songs primed for rocking and plenty of opportunity for collective feelings to be felt, it was some of these more quiet and contemplative parts- the songs that were the most stripped-down and vulnerable- that I felt really resonated the hardest. It wouldn’t be a Hayley Williams show, though, if the upbeat and the somber, the raw and the sarcastic, the sad songs with a shimmering, happy sheen, didn’t all perfectly coexist, and it’s that dichotomy, that depth, and sonic complexity that make Hayley such a special performer.
While it’s true that capitalizing on your platform as a famous artist to support social causes and speak truth to power isn’t an absolute necessity, it certainly feels like a huge waste to stay silent if you have that kind of megaphone and care deeply about the state of the world. Hayley has, admirably, only become more and more outspoken throughout her career and has been leveraging these shows and the platform they provide to try to enact positive change. From a plant-based food drive in partnership with Support and Feed, to dedicating a portion of proceeds to benefitting LGBTQ+ youth equality nonprofit The Ally Coalition, to giving space within a verse of “Ice in My OJ” to interject messages like “fuck ICE,” “tax the fucking churches,” and “Christian music is a psyop,” Williams has been loud and bold about her views on this bleak moment in society we’re collectively weathering, and that’s something I have such immense respect for.
No moment was more powerful, though, than bringing out Tennessee Representative and activist Justin Jones on the final night, who sat with Hayley at the piano as she played “Ego Death at a Bachelorette Party,” before being offered a chance to give an inspiring and urgent rallying cry for a better Tennessee: “Hayley, you taught me an important lesson. You said that ‘we bury our friends in the morning, we protest in the afternoon, and we dance all night,’ and that is the legacy of our movement right now. You also taught me that we can still believe in Nashville. Not the Nashville [of] these racist fuckers like Kid Rock, Morgan Wallen, Jason Aldean… but the Nashville that stands up to white supremacy, the Nashville that stands up against transphobia, islamophobia, homophobia. So fuck white supremacy, fuck Marsha Blackburn, fuck Bill Lee, fuck gentrification, and power to the people! Let’s shut it down, Nashville, let’s shut some shit down. Let’s shut that Elon Musk tunnel down. Let’s shut down the State Capitol, and let’s stand up together. Thank you, I love you, my friend. Power to the people.” Chills.
Jones was far from the only guest throughout the residency. Being hometown shows, friends and family were, of course, scattered throughout the auditorium, including Hayley’s mom and grandparents, who attended all three nights in the front of the balcony and received a few loving shoutouts throughout each performance (I wasn’t really going to mention it, but I was seated with her family the final night, and they couldn’t have been nicer). On stage, night two featured a surprise appearance from local indie rocker Annie DiRusso, for Annie’s Ruston Kelly duet “Wearing Pants Again” (sad that I missed that one), and the final night featured none other than Nashville transplant Noah Kahan, who Williams mentioned having met at the Grammys, for a duet of his new single “Downfall.” Noah is, of course, a gigantic artist right now, so his appearance was met with stunned screams and deafening applause, and his voice meshed really gorgeously with Hayley’s (I’d love to hear those two collaborate in the studio in the future). While night one didn’t feature a guest during the main set, it did feature a cover of “Friends or Lovers,” a song by Hayley’s grandfather Rusty Williams, originally recorded in the ’70s and recently released for the first time through Paramore bandmate Zac Farro’s Congrats Records (I wondered if she had perhaps hoped Rusty might join her on stage).
In a Rolling Stone Musicians on Musicians interview last fall, Williams told Jack Antonoff that she preferred the collaborative process to releasing music under her own name and wanted to “be in 100 bands before I die.” She made good on that promise not long after, quietly unveiling a new project with Daniel James called Power Snatch, and releasing their grungy, ethereal, shoegaze and trip-hop influenced debut, EP1, earlier this year on Bandcamp. It didn’t even cross my mind that we might be treated to a Power Snatch song during these shows, but on the final night, James joined Hayley at the start of the encore to play EP opener “DMs,” officially marking the first live appearance of the project. Their vibe is extremely my shit, so I was really, really thrilled to be in attendance for this, and I loved how fantastic and distinct the song sounded live; not a far cry from the Ego Death songs, but different enough to warrant its own moniker, certainly.
While I don’t believe every single show on the tour has included a guest (and certainly not multiple), the usual spot for a surprise appearance is during “Parachute,” the final song of the encore. And Nashville was really being fed, because, in addition to all of the aforementioned surprise performers, Hayley also brought out a trio of local artists- Blair Tramel from Snõõper on night one, Zach Halfhill from Heartattack (and vegan bakery Guerilla Bizkits) on night two, and Ash Richter and Luna Kupper from Total Wife on night three. I have eternal admiration for Hayley’s lifelong commitment to supporting local music, to maintaining an independent ethos, to never losing touch with her roots, and the fact that she continues to champion, platform, and collaborate with smaller local artists is just a further testament to her sincere authenticity, and made each night a fun guessing game of which cool local artist might emerge.
As a millennial who grew up in the pop punk scene, but saw my taste and artistic appreciation mature with years; a late 30-something who experienced some youthfully idealistic highs and some sobering adult lows watching the sociopolitical shift in the world across the last few decades; as a native southerner and a 15-year Nashvillian who frequently feels a love-hate relationship with my city and state, but who wants to still believe in Nashville and so many wonderful and talented people in it… I found so much truth and catharsis at a Hayley Williams show. Few artists are as skilled at taking such deeply personal subjects and relaying them in song in a way that feels so broadly relatable, but Hayley does so effortlessly, using her own vulnerability to amplify a sense of healing and community, creating a shared safe space and blissful escapism. I’ve seen her do so in many musical formats over many years, but to hear these songs performed in this moment, at a show that felt like such a singular expression of Hayley at this particular personal and creative juncture in her life, was something extra breathtaking and special.
The only thing that left me wanting was the absence of any songs from her other solo albums (apparently they’ll be part of an expanded, larger venue tour in the fall dubbed The Hayley Williams Show), but I’m not sure I would’ve traded that for getting to hear every single song from Ego Death anyway, and the timeliness and thoughtfulness of this set felt like more than enough on its own. Whether alone, with Paramore, Power Snatch, or any of those 98 other bands she’s still hoping to form, Hayley Williams is an artist in a league of her own, one of the most gifted songwriters of my generation, and a force to be reckoned with in concert. Seeing her at home, in the place so integral to her identity and story, always feels like an especially profound experience, and these shows were something I’ll hold close to my heart for a long time.
_
Setlist:
Mirtazapine
Showbiz
Disappearing Man
Zissou
Ice in My OJ
Hard
Kill Me
Blood Bros
Friends or Lovers (Rusty Williams cover – night one only)
Ego Death at a Bachelorette Party (featuring Representative Justin Jones on night three)
Wearing Pants Again (Annie DiRusso & Ruston Kelly cover, with Annie DiRusso – night two only)
Downfall (Noah Kahan cover, with Noah Kahan – night three only)
Whim
Glum
Negative Self Talk
True Believer
Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood (Nina Simone cover)
Brotherly Hate
Love Me Different
Dream Girl in Shibuya
Good Ol’ Days
DMs (with Daniel James as Power Snatch – night three only)
Discovery Channel
I Won’t Quit on You
Parachute (with Blair Tramel of Snõõper night one, Zach Halfhill of Heartattack night two, Ash Richter and Luna Kupper of Total Wife night three)