Olivia Rodrigo Covers Avril Lavigne, Veruca Salt Oldies on Her Debut Tour’s Opening Night
variety.comChris Willman Music WriterOlivia Rodrigo did the first night of her first tour Tuesday night, and there was some anticipation among fans about what she might do to fill out a headlining set, given that her heralded debut album clocks in at just under 35 minutes.
Would the freshly minted star dip into the influences she’s accumulated in her 19 years?Indeed, she did, adding some seething to go along with all the brutality out there, and some outside complications to augment her album’s sense of traitorousness.Avril Lavigne’s “Complicated” and Veruca Salt’s “Seether” were the two cover songs Rodrigo added to a set that otherwise consisted of the entirety of last year’s “Sour” album.Rodrigo referred to Lavigne as “the pop-punk princess herself” in introducing her cover of the breakout hit by her forebear.
Of course, the two have been associated before this: Lavigne introduced Rodrigo at Variety’s Hitmakers event in December, and then repeated that in ushering the younger singer onto the stage at Sunday night’s Grammys.
pop punk never dies pic.twitter.com/Q60DCct1H9— brittany spanos (@ohheybrittany) April 6, 2022Rodrigo’s love for Veruca Salt has been lesser-known, but in Portland, she introduced “Seether” by thanking her mom for introducing her to the band, whose original version of that song was an alternative-rock hit in 1994, nine years before Rodrigo was born.For anyone who really wants to feel old, though, consider that even the Lavigne song came into the world a year before Rodrigo did.The Grammys’ newly christened best new artist let some of her other favorite influences be known in her choice of between-set music, after opening act Gracie Abrams left the stage.
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