Review & setlist: Gracie Abrams proves she’s ‘close to you,’ Boston

"Being here with all of you feels like being home," Abrams, donning a Boston Red Sox hat, told the sold-out crowd at MGM Music Hall at Fenway. "New England is home."

After a tough start to the week, with a vocal injury forcing her to reschedule shows in New York and Philadelphia, Gracie Abrams found solace — and her voice again — in Boston.

At Wednesday’s sold-out show at MGM Music Hall at Fenway, the 25-year-old pop singer truthfully didn’t need her voice, given just how loud her fans screamed nearly every lyric.

Still, there was no question that her microphone was on.

From the sultry, haunting vocals of songs like “I Miss You, I’m Sorry” and “Good Luck Charlie,” to tracks with more intensity like “Risk” and “Blowing Smoke,” Abrams did not hold back from showcasing the strength and control of her voice.

A kinship with New England

“Being here with all of you feels like being home,” she said, donning a Boston Red Sox hat. “New England is home.”

Though she was born and raised in Los Angeles — the daughter of filmmaker J.J. Abrams and former political aide Katie McGrath — Abrams has felt a kinship with New England since childhood. She said her family would often travel to Boston and then drive up to Maine where relatives on her mom’s side live.

“Not only has Boston been a super important place in my life, just growing up and family and everything, but also some of my favorite shows that we’ve ever played have been here,” she said.

The singer-songwriter has had quite the year so far, with highlights such as a Grammy nomination for best new artist; the release of her sophomore album, “The Secret of Us,” in June; and performing “Everywhere, Everything” with Noah Kahan as a special guest at one of his sold-out Fenway Park shows in July. That last one included a livestream for even more viewers than the park could fit, and their performance also made the cut for his “Live from Fenway Park” album.

Abrams described the experience at Fenway as “one of the greatest moments of my life,” adding that she feels that Kahan is “the beating heart of New England.”

The setlist for this tour has been identical from show to show except for an unreleased song and surprise song at each stop. In Boston, these were “That’s So True” and “Augusta,” respectively.

“I’ve been namedropping Boston in my songs for the longest time,” said Abrams before taking to the keys to perform “Augusta,” with its opening line, “Feel like maybe I might go to Boston.”

Despite the sad-girl nature of many of her songs, Abrams kept the energy high, shifting from guitar to microphone to keyboard, filling up space in every area of the stage, and interacting with fans at every turn. She also had four backing band members that provided keys, guitar, bass, and drums.

Abrams invited her opener, Role Model — a Maine native known for recent hits like “Look at that Woman” and “Deeply Still in Love” — back on stage toward the end of the show to join her in singing “Feels Like.”

After expressing her love and gratitude for the singer, whose real name is Tucker Pillsbury, Abrams handed him a crown and flowers, dubbing him the “Sexiest Man on Tour.” (In case you missed it, Pillsbury has been actively campaigning to be named People magazine’s Sexiest Man Alive.)

Standout moments

Though one of her top tracks, “I Love You, I’m Sorry,” had the crowd seemingly at its loudest volume, it was “Tough Love” and “Close to You” that truly struck a chord with Boston fans.

“This song is for you,” said Abrams as she started to sing “Tough Love.” Images of Boston trains raced on the screen behind her for the opening lyrics, “I took a train to Boston and I wanted to cry.”

As she closed her encore with “Close to You,” Abrams thanked the crowd one more time, saying “I love you from the bottom of my heart. This time together means more to me than I could ever possibly tell you. This song in particular would not exist without you, and I’ve been waiting for seven years to sing it with you.”

Abrams, whose latest album features a collaboration with Taylor Swift, has opened for Swift on the “Eras Tour” dozens of times and will return for even more dates this fall.

Setlist for Gracie Abrams at MGM Music Hall at Fenway, Oct. 9, 2024

• Felt Good About You (performed from off stage)
• Risk
• Blowing Smoke
• 21
• I Love You, I’m Sorry
• Where Do We Go Now?
• Gave You I Gave You I
• Mess It Up
• That’s So True (unreleased song)
• Augusta (surprise song)
• Good Luck Charlie
• I Knew It, I Know You
• I Know It Won’t Work
• Friend
• Normal Thing
• Feels Like (with Role Model)
• Tough Love
• Let It Happen
• I Miss You, I’m Sorry
• Free Now

Encore

• us.
• Close to You

Senior Content Producer

Heather Alterisio, a senior content producer, joined Boston.com in 2022 after working for more than five years as a general assignment reporter at newspapers in Massachusetts.