Brandi Carlile’s 3 Different Epic Summer Tour Setlist Styles
Brandi Carlile’s 2023 summer started in her home state of Washington with two epic nights of “Echoes Through The Canyon.” From there, the seven-time Grammy Award winner touches almost every corner of the country, ultimately landing back on the west coast in the fall. However, this Brandi Carlile tour comes in three different formats and setlist types.
Let me explain. Carlile kicked off a massive stadium tour last night in Toronto. Sporting a Blue Jay baby blue suit, Carlile and her band began their trek opening for P!NK on her “Summer Carnival Tour.” Prior to that, there were six shows up the east coast, post Gorge. This included a headlining slot at the Levitate Music and Arts Festival. Directly before and after that were mellow acoustic performances in New Jersey and New York.
Now, there are 27 dates still ahead for Carlile. The 2023 itinerary concludes October 14 at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles. Of those 27 shows, 15 are supporting P!NK at some of the biggest MLB ballparks in the country. The rest of the dates are a mix of outdoor theatre shows, festivals, and another solo acoustic performance in Delaware.
What you need to know here is that Brandi Carlile’s seven record catalog is flexible enough where one setlist does not fit all.
How Are These Show Types And Setlists Different?
Let’s start with the stadiums where she is literally getting the party started ahead of P!NK. The shows starts with a rocker, as “Broken Horses” from her latest record kicks off the evening. Eight songs follow before P!NK goes flying through the air while singing. The setlist here is mixes tracks off Carlile’s In These Silent Days record, with previous hits like “The Joke,” and fan-favorite covers such as a thrilling rendition of David Bowie’s “Space Odyssey.”
It’s a fair assumption to think the festival slots and shows outside the PINK tour will follow a similar suit to what was performed at Levitate. This saw Carlile starting the evening with a quiet and mood-setting delivery of her song “Stay Gentle.” It then transitioned into “Somewhere Over The Rainbow.” With more time and space, concertgoers can expect to some deep cuts from previous records make an appearance. In Marshfield, “My Song” off Carlile’s breakthrough record The Story was the fifth song played. It was introduced by Carlile telling the story of how “My Song” came to be and how it had not been played often over the past few years. This format of show tends to be about 16-19 songs, closing with the thoughtful parting message of “Hold Out Your Hand.”
Finally, when Carlile announced she would sprinkle in a few solo dates, fans were delighted by the opportunity to see and hear her in such intimate theatre settings. So many of her songs can be stripped down to blend beautifully with the majestic walls of a place like the Hackensack Meridien Health Theatre in Red Bank, NJ. Before the curtains close with a Joni Mitchell cover, anything that can be played solo is fair game. This setlist is typically around 17 songs. It features less amplifiers and more piano.
3 Show Types, 3 Different Opening Songs
The opening song off Carlile’s debut record, “Follow” has opened each of the solo performances so far this summer. That makes three different opening tracks to launch into three different stellar show types. It would certainly be much easier for Carlile and her crew to play a similar set each night. Their songs resonate in multiple genres. But this is unique tour schedule where Brandi Carlile is treating fans to three different memorable setlist and show styles.
