P!NK rocks out a hot pink Syracuse crowd
P!NK rocks out a hot pink Syracuse crowd
The rock star brought her one-of-a-kind “Summer Carnival” to the JMA Wireless Dome, thrilling fans with acrobatics, pyrotechnics, and iconic hits.
The leaves were starting to change color, and the fall air was crisp, but inside the JMA Wireless Dome, all anyone could hear or see was P!NK.
The rock star visited Syracuse to perform for a packed crowd on Sunday as part of the “Pink Summer Carnival” tour. Outside and inside the Dome, you could find splashes of hot pink everywhere, with students and locals eager and ready to rock out.
Rock out, they most certainly did. Marketed as a carnival, Pink provided the singing equivalent of a Cirque du Soleil performance. Whether it was coming down from the rafters to open her set, spinning inside a chandelier or crowd surfing through the air to end the show, Pink made it a summer carnival of fun.
The concert promptly kicked off at 6:30 p.m. with DJ KidCutUp electrifying the crowd with Queen’s “I Want to Break Free” on the loudspeakers. Soon after, the pop-rock band The Script opened the night’s performances with their classic “Superheroes” as fans finished filing to their seats.
The Script finished their set with lead singer Danny O’Donoghue inviting the crowd to turn their flashlights on and sway to their most popular hit, “Hall of Fame.”
“All these lights are attached to tragedies, to triumphs,” O’Donoghue said. “When we get knocked down, we get back in the game… this song is dedicated to this beautiful city dearest.”
Sheryl Crow was next in line, instantly setting the crowd into a frenzy with some country flair. Her set included fan-favorite tracks like “All I Wanna Do,” “Soak Up the Sun” and “Everyday is a Winding Road,” to name a few.
Crow had the audience following each word sung and every strum of her guitar as she alternated between acoustic and electric throughout the night. She even busted out a couple of harmonica solos during “Real Gone” and her cover of The Rolling Stone’s classic “Jumpin’ Jack Flash.”
“It’s okay to skip church every once in a while to see Pink play rock and roll,” Crow said before sending the crowd into an uproar with a single note of “If It Makes You Happy.”
After the enthusiastic hour-long set from Crow, the stage was ready for Pink, and what a stage it was.
The set was everything you’d expect and more from a Pink concert, best described as a Gusher explosion in the greatest possible way. The stage had colorful prop emojis, an inflatable disco-esque beach ball and a spiked ice cream cone that added to the global star’s edgy and intrinsic style.
Pink came out to “Get the Party Started,” which she certainly did. The crowd welcomed the three-time Grammy award winner with a deafening roar as she ascended (or rather flew and bounced in the air) from the rafters.
The acrobatics and theatrics were a continuous theme for the night with unbelievable production value. One moment, Pink would be singing powerful, heartfelt ballads sitting on top of her piano (at one point covering Bob Dylan’s “Make You Feel My Love”), and the next, she had fire and pyrotechnics blazing behind her during “Just Like Fire.”
“A lot of people will tell me that my music or lyrics healed them. But I’ll tell you, it’s a reciprocal thing,” Pink said to the crowd that did not stop their screaming and dancing all night.
Throughout, it felt like Pink was sharing not only her music but also her personality and passions. In a heartwarming moment, Pink brought out her 13-year-old daughter, Willow Sage Hart, to sing their 2021 single “Cover Me In Sunshine” together.
“One take Willow,” Pink said with a proud smile after Willow nailed her special moment.
This was not just a concert; it was a literal carnival experience. The dancers on Flamingo-decorated scooters, trapeze artists and anthropomorphic pink lips during “Blow Me (One Last Kiss)” that shot out confetti would be enough to prove it. That is, if Pink did not have such a knack for awe-inspiring gymnastics.
Fittingly, the concert ended a mere four hours after it started with Pink attached to a harness flying up and down the stadium belting her chart-shattering classic “So What.” As the confetti rained from the sky, it was clear Pink owned the night, and it seemed like everyone was “Never Gonna Not Dance Again.”
If you want to get the party started for yourself, you can find a Spotify playlist from Sunday’s set list here.