For the first time in 12 years, Upstate welcomed Paramore vocalist Hayley Williams on the 12th of September, marking the artist’s first time at SPAC since 2014.
Only this time, she was performing a new act, completely separate from the Grammy-winning band. New York received a lot of love on this tour, with other stops including two consecutive nights in Forest Hills. Her current tour, The Hayley Williams Show, gives the spotlight to the artist’s 3 solo albums for the first time since their original release.
The Leadup
Williams’ first album, Petals for Armor, was released in 2020, but the tour was subsequently cancelled due to the pandemic. Her sophomore album Flowers for Vases followed in 2021, this time, with no intention of being toured. Her recent 2025 album Ego Death at a Bachelorette Party saw a skyrocket in popularity, and did receive a tour. The setlist exclusively contained songs from that album only. For the first time ever, her first two albums are being awarded the live performances they deserve.
Williams’ last time visiting the Capital Region was in 2014, when Paramore co-headlined Monumentour with the band Fall Out Boy. Since then, the band has played New York shows in Syracuse and New York City, but these tours had a lack of Upstate dates. The September 12 show was a long-awaited return. The last time she played in New York City was this past April, performing three shows at Hammerstein Ballroom. Night two of her Forest Hills stop was an especially unique night.
The shows began with opener Rico Nasty, whose unique aesthetic lends itself to both hip-hop and punk genres. The refreshing set combines a DJ with a metal guitarist. Following Rico Nasty was Magdalena Bay, who came to the table with a dreamy synth pop set paired with psychedelic visuals.
And Finally…
After much anticipation, Williams entered the stage, sitting solo at a piano to play only the beginning of “Just a Lover.” The second half of the song faded into an instrumental as her band entered the stage, and the interlude flowed straight into “Over Yet.” To a dedicated fan, this is quite an interesting combination of songs, but Williams and the band are able to make the composition work perfectly. The lead 2020 lead single “Simmer” was next, and the stage projections came on. This is when the excitement really set in.
A few songs in came “Ice in my OJ.” While the song mentions genuine ice in a beverage, Williams rightfully takes the opportunity to voice concern and contempt about the governmental organization. In fact, on this particular tour, Williams is using her privilege as an artist to involve fans in social and political activism. Fans can receive special items such as pins, stickers, and Nalgene bottles, in exchange for taking action with non-profit organizations tabling at the venue.
Long time fans of Paramore will recognize Williams’ band as the same four people that provide support for Paramore—lovingly dubbed the “Parafour.” In addition to the Parafour (Brian Robert Jones [guitar], Logan Mckenzie [guitar/keys], Joey Mullen [drums], Joey Howard [bass],) Hayley has also introduced Anne Williamson (keys) and Amber Coffman (guitar/percussion). This marks the first time Williams has been backed on stage by other women musicians.
Another song seeing its live debut on this tour is “My Friend,” 6 years after its release. The song is about Williams’ best friend, hairstylist, and makeup artist, Brian O’Connor. The two are co-founders and owners of Good Dye Young, a sustainable and vegan hair dye company. During this song, O’Connor entered the stage to do Williams’ eye makeup in real time, which is a nice touch and fitting way to honor their friendship.
Other notable performances included “True Believer,” a poignant track about the current political atmosphere, particularly in the conservative South. At Forest Hills, this song was specially accompanied by an orchestra of women of color. “Crystal Clear” came soon after, a ballad where Williams also interpolates lyrics from the song “Friends of Lovers,” by her own grandfather, Rusty Williams. Around this time at SPAC, it began to rain. Rather than being an inconvenience, this arguably made the experience better.
The setlist soon pivoted to cater to her recent album, with the last 8 of the last 9 songs being from Ego Death. Right before the encore, Williams returned to the piano to once again perform “Just a Lover,” this time, with its full cathartic ending. This song contains the lyric “no more music for the masses,” which, at the time of its 2021 release, led many fans to wonder if Williams was abandoning her music career. The fact that it is now being performed nightly on tour is sort of a full-circle moment.
A Surprise Encore
Night two of Forest Hills received a special and rare treat during the encore. Normally the second to last song played is “Brotherly Hate,” which is a fun track that includes a megaphone rigged the mic. At a recent show the previous week, she swapped it for “Showbiz,” a song that Williams plays guitar on. But on this particular night, there was a quick moment of silence between songs. There was no megaphone in sight, nor guitar—prompting fans to wonder what song she was about to perform.
Then, a familiar piano track played. Screaming ensued. Williams welcomed Rico Nasty back to the stage. More screaming. The duo performed the 2010 megahit Airplanes, a hip-hop track by B.o.B. that features Williams in the chorus. Williams hadn’t performed Airplanes live since 2010, largely because she does not own it. Instead of covering B.o.B., Rico Nasty completely revamped the verses into a fresh new version of the track.
Williams closed out the night with “Parachute.” At this point, it was pouring, which only made the song better. “Parachute” gained popularity quickly after its release, particularly on social media, because of its confrontational and emotional lyrics. Lines like “what was the moment you decided to give up” seem to hit even harder in a rainstorm.
Though the wait to see Hayley Williams at Saratoga Performing Arts Center was over a decade long, it was well worth it for this performance. Williams herself mentioned that it had been too long since her last time in Saratoga, so hopefully another eventual tour stop awaits in the future. And, after two spectacular nights in Queens, New York City is already ready for William’s return.
Setlist: Just a Lover, Over Yet, Wandering Star (Portishead cover) Simmer, Creepin, Ice in My OJ, Kill Me, Hard, My Friend, Leave it Alone, Roses/Lotus/Violet/Iris, True Believer, Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood (Nina Simone cover), Cinnamon, Dead Horse, Pure Love, Crystal Clear, Ego Death at a Bachelorette Party, Glum, Disappearing Man, Dream Girl in Shibuya, Good O’l Days, Just a Lover (reprise), Mirtazapine, Brotherly Hate, Parachute
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