The evening was full of surprises, starting with King Princess' opening set. Hitting traction with her debut single "1950" and known for songs such as "Talia," the Brooklyn singer sported a dress shirt and tie to go with a pair of shorts as she warmed the crowd up with a guitar in hand. To King Princess' surprise, Welch sneaked up on her midway through her set. Having hinted on her Instagram that attendees should get to the show early to see something special, she delivered as the pair duetted "Change the Locks" together on stage.
Punctual and not on Miami time by any means, Florence + the Machine made its grand arrival as ghostly chandeliers that looked like they had been plucked from a haunted mansion set the ambiance for the night, hanging precariously on a white picture frame illuminated by a spotlight before the band took the stage. Each chandelier rose one by one to reveal Florence Welch.
Welch's outfits never fail to impress, and on Saturday she wore a tired mint-green, floor-length gown with angel-like cape sleeves to provide the extra dramatic flair as she jumped, twirled, and ran barefoot across the stage and through the crowd. The singer's long red hair was her crown as she commenced the night with several tracks from Dance Fever and sprinkled in memorable hits from previous records such as "Ship to Wreck" and "What Kind of Man" from 2015's How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful.
The arena collectively jumped up at the beginning rhapsodic notes of the band's best know work, "Dog Days Are Over," echoing and singing back in unity the song that elevated the band to worldwide stardom. As the rhythmic clapping of hands lengthened during a moment in the song, Welch beckoned every individual in the arena to partake in a ritual by putting their phones away and encouraging neighbors seated to the left and right to shun any visible electronic device. "So much of our time is spent on screens," Welch declared. "We didn't get a chance to be together for a long time, so be here and be together at this moment. When I say run, I need you to jump as high as you can and for as long as you can handle."
Without hesitance, the audience exploded at the singer's crazed jumping and the song's final recommence of the dog days being over. Last week's seasonal closure of summer took on a bittersweet meaning during the performance as it was symbolically replaced by FATM's declaration that happiness has arrived and must be clutched with all one's might.
If one tried and true facet of a Florence + the Machine show must be remembered, it's the intimacy of Welch's interactions with the crowd, both at the front of the barricade and throughout the arena floor. Running down the steps of the stage at the start of "Dream Girl Evil," Welch blessed those who had waited hours in the heat by cradling their faces and serenading the lucky ones directly up close.
Welch hoisted herself up to clutch the hand of one fan throughout the latter half of the song as the arena screen captured a heavy intergenerational presence of devotees wearing handmade flower crowns and tear-streaked golden eyeshadow as they came face to face with Welch. Fans threw gifts on stage and Welch picked them up and added them to the tiered shrine of chandeliers at the back of the stage.
Welch's return to the stage revealed a thin veil boxed around her for a moody rendition of "Big God" from 2019's High as Hope. The arena screen switched to black and white, highlighting Welch's silhouette as she stayed veiled at a reverential distance from the stage. The second half of the evening switched back and forth between current album tracks and prior album hits, as FATM can't deny how its discography is not about topping the latest over the previous but rather a culmination of the 15 years they have performed across the globe.
Departing the stage after "My Love," in which Welch explained the context of writing a song about leaving everything on the dance floor in the absence of packed arenas and concert halls, the fans cheered for FATM's return and stomped the soles of their feet to beam their adoration sonically and their need for the band's return. Accompanying the noise was a black screen with text proclaiming "Choose Love" and the tour's partnership with the eponymous nonprofit organization that assists refugees and displaced victims.
Within minutes, the stage was set again for the encore, where FATM performed three classics from its debut album Lungs and its successor, Ceremonials. Welch closed the evening with an eerie announcement that human sacrifices must be made now that the night was ending. A few fans were hoisted onto the shoulders of their friends and loved ones as "Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up)" began, resounding in the seance-like energy that the entire show emanated. Calling out to their collective god, fans' hands reached toward Florence + the Machine as they once again obeyed Welch's command to leave everything on the dance floor in a resurrection of live music and communal return to life as it is intended: to jump and raise it up and hold each other tight and take care of one another.
Setlist:
- "Heaven Is Here"
- "King"
- "Ship to Wreck"
- "Free"
- "Daffodil"
- "Dog Days Are Over"
- "Girls Against God"
- "Dream Girl Evil"
- "Prayer Factory"
- "Big God"
- "Cassandra"
- "What Kind of Man"
- "Morning Elvis"
- "June"
- "Hunger"
- "Choreomania"
- "Kiss With a Fist"
- "Cosmic Love"
- "My Love"
- "Never Let Me Go"
- "Shake It Out"
- "Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up)"
