Billie Eilish brings Hit Me Hard and Soft tour to Pittsburgh

Pop star Billie Eilish pushed the boundaries of the arena on Sunday night, demonstrating her intimacy among the nearly 20,000 people in attendance at a sold-out show at PPG Paints Arena.

An arena might not seem like the optimal choice for a concert full of intense emotions, feelings and reflections, but the 22-year-old more than pulled it off when her Hit Me Hard and Soft tour stopped in Pittsburgh.

A highly engaged, mostly female crowd was ready to party and party with Eilish, with some arriving and camping near the arena on Saturday. There were long lines at the merchandise stands (including a truck in the parking lot), the wave broke out minutes before the show began, and fans arrived dressed in all eras of Eilish.

At one point before “Wildflower,” the crowd hooted and hollered for more than a minute, with Eilish appearing touched by the performance.

“You mean the world to me. I hope you never feel like I'm not there because I'm always there,” she told fans later that evening. “And I will always be there for you, and I will always fight for you and stand up for you and support you in everything that you are.”

Eilish took the stage promptly at 8:30 p.m. The stage setup in the middle of the arena featured two sunken pits in which Eilish's band and backup singers performed. At the center of the stage was a platform that rose and fell, with a surrounding cage that doubled as a video screen. As the platform rose, it momentarily became transparent, revealing Eilish in the center as the show began with a thumping “Chihiro.”

Wearing a backwards baseball cap, a bone-covered Supreme hockey jersey, gym shorts and sneakers, Eilish performed eight songs from her latest album, “Hit Me Hard and Soft,” released in May, five from that year's “Happier Than Ever.” 2021 and five from 2019's “When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?”, with a few other sprinkles.

Eilish took advantage of every inch of the stage, whether it was running the length of the stage during “Lunch” or staying at the center mic stand during “Wildflower” as phone lights illuminated the crowd. After silencing the crowd completely while layering her vocals at the start of “When the Party's Over,” she lay flat on her back in the middle of the stage.

More of the sold out items @billieeilish Show in Pittsburgh pic.twitter.com/GO7MvNVTTJ

– Mike Palm (@MikePalmMedia) October 14, 2024

As the bass thumped during “Bad Guy,” Eilish grabbed a handheld video camera to capture some first-person shots. For “The Greatest,” Eilish returned to the platform and slammed it flat with her head and hair hanging over the edge. Eilish took center stage on “Male Fantasy” and “Skinny” along with backup singers Ava and Jane Horner.

“TV” felt like an alt-rocker, with Eilish on acoustic guitar and a large crowd singing along to the chorus of “Maybe I’m the Problem.” “Bury A Friend” featured pyro and some huge stomping effects from Eilish, while “Oxytocin” ended with a sensory overload of lights, strobes and pyro.

That led Eilish to the second stage, where she performed her part of Charli A powerful “Everything I Wanted” began there, with Eilish once again grabbing the handheld camera, doing a lap around the stage and cheering the fans along.

The medley of “Lovely,” “Idontwannabeyouanymore,” and “Ocean Eyes” included Eilish hitting several high notes on a keyboard at the front of the stage, while interesting water-themed images appeared on the floor/giant video screen during several other songs made.

“L'Amour De Ma Vie” gave Eilish another opportunity to use the platform and dance while she stood up. When she returned to the stage, she sat alone at one end and performed “What Was I Made For?”, the Grammy and Oscar winner from the “Barbie” soundtrack.

After starting “Happier Than Ever” alone, she strapped on an electric guitar and delivered a bombastic ending as the flames shot up. She closed with “Birds of a Feather,” with confetti shooting into the crowd.

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Indie-pop brothers Nat and Alex Wolf started the evening with a lively, upbeat set that saw the duo hop back and forth between instruments with support from their backing band.

Highlights included a stripped-down version of “Soft Kissing Hour,” produced by Eilish and just released on Friday, and a cathartic “All My Plans,” which saw Nat collapse on the floor alongside the crowd helping chorus .

“I finally found a way to force her to hang out with me all the time,” Eilish said during her set.

More from @natandalex in Pittsburgh pic.twitter.com/MXdykojD0b

– Mike Palm (@MikePalmMedia) October 14, 2024