I recently attended Gracie Abrams’ The Secret of Us tour. It was an incredible experience and I had so much fun. I attended the concert in Philadelphia on October 15, at The Met Philadelphia with my cousin Nori and my aunt Katie.
I started listening to Abrams last summer after watching her open for Taylor Swift’s “Eras Tour.” I was immediately hooked after watching her perform. Abrams first appeared on the music spectrum in 2019, with her release of her single “Mean It.” Abrams has released two EPs, “Minor” in 2020 and “This Is What It Feels Like” in 2021. She has come out with two albums. “Good Riddance” and “The Secret of Us” were released back to back, with “Good Riddance” coming out in 2023 and “The Secret of Us” in 2024.
“The Secret of Us” features 13 songs, including a feature by Swift on the song “us..” The album was released on June 21, after the first two singles “Risk” and “Close to You” were released a few weeks prior. These songs immediately skyrocketed in popularity, especially “Close to You,” which was unofficially released a few years ago. I was so excited to finally hear it on an album. Abrams announced the tour on June 3 and tickets went on sale on June 7. The tour started on September 5, in Portland, Oregon.
Nori texted me, asking if I wanted to go with her to the concert, and I obviously said yes. Katie got us tickets and we started planning. Abrams is known for wearing skirts and bows, so I knew I had to include that in my outfit. “The Secret of Us” also used the color yellow when promoting the album. We went thrifting before the show, and I found a yellow top and Nori found a white skirt. I paired the yellow top with a white skirt I had and, of course, a bow.
Abrams was initially set to perform in Philadelphia on October 8, but due to a vocal injury she moved the concert a week later to October 15. We traveled up to Philadelphia on Tuesday and I got ready at my aunt’s house. We left around 6:30 in the evening and drove to the concert, which started at 8:30 pm. After 30 minutes, we arrived at the venue and immediately got in line for merch. I ended up getting a sweatshirt with the tour dates on the back and a t-shirt. We walked into the theater and I was amazed at how many bows I saw. I was not expecting to see so many people, since the Met is a small venue, with a capacity of 3,500 people. The whole concert felt very intimate compared to concerts at larger venues. After taking pictures, we sat down and started getting ready for the show.
At about 8:15 pm, “HOT TO GO!” by Chappell Roan and “Down Bad” by Swift started playing and everyone went crazy. A little while later, “Kiss Me” by Sixpence None The Richer played, which is one of the last songs on the pre-show setlist before Abrams came out. My favorite songs going into the show were “Free Now” from “The Secret of Us” and “I miss you, I’m sorry” from her “Minor” EP. I was excited to see if my favorite songs changed after hearing them live.
At 8:30, the lights dimmed and the intro to “Felt Good About You” started playing. I honestly don’t even remember her coming out, I just remember being so excited to see her in person. After finishing “Felt Good About You,” everyone went crazy, and “Risk” started playing which is one of her most popular songs. After a few songs, including “I Love You, I’m Sorry,” which I can confirm is better in person, Abrams chatted with fans about her touring experience.
Instead of playing “Full Machine,” Abrams played “That’s So True,” which is a track from “The Secret of Us” deluxe version. The deluxe version wasn’t released until October 18, so it was surprising to hear the song before it was officially released. I loved the song because of Abrams’s vocals and was so glad she decided to release it on an album.
She played “Right Now” as the surprise song and I sang to “21,” which was the first song I listened to from Abrams. Nori and I sang, danced, and cried the entire time. Toward the end of the concert, Abrams played “us.,” which, after listening to it live, is one of my favorite songs because of the passion that Abrams sang it with. Her final song, “Close to You,” played and Abrams gave a speech thanking fans for coming to the tour, with it being the last night of the North America leg.
I think I stood there in shock, processing everything that had happened over the last two hours. Everyone started leaving the venue, and we walked outside. Nori and I stood there in the venue looking at each other, took more pictures, and then left to go home. The concert was a life changing experience because I loved being able to see Abrams live. Singing her songs with thousands of people who love her music as much as I do made me feel like a part of a community full of bow-wearing girls.
