Richmond, VA – For those who have never witnessed a Lindsey Stirling performance, you are missing out. Every show is packed with great music, breathtaking stunts, and something I think we often neglect, a story. This is the third time I captured her, and each time I have witnessed i new chapter to her story. Each story fills a chapter, and all chapters make a book. This book is a must seen. Richmond was her first show of her Duality Untamed Tour at the Allianz Amphitheater Riverfront in Richmond, VA on July 7, 2026. Seeing the story evolve over time has been fascinating.
A lot of the story has to do with who is chosen to be the openers… the prologue so to speak. This tour’s supporting acts are perfect, both as support but also to prepare the audience for the music to come. To be honest, no supporting acts could come close to preparing the audience for the acrobatics, aerials, and dance.
The setup for the string portion of Lindsey’s performance was a violinist and cellist in the form of ARKAI. The two were a blast to watch and even more fun to listen to. ARKAI took the pop string duet concept to new levels, and they had fun doing it (and so did the crowd)!! Check out their most recent single, “Brightside” and tell me they are not having fun at being good!
Next up was a pop rock band, PVRIS. While the instrumentation was more traditional for pop rock, the beat was definitely a great setup for Lindsey’s set. Check out their video for “Godess” to get a feel for their sound!!!
ARKAI and PVRIS Gallery
I think one of the reasons Lindsey’s performances resonate with me is because of her message. The first time I saw her in 2019 she told the audience of her life experiences. She talking of, ‘having people always trying to tell your story for you… you need to tell you own story’. That message hits hard and I have no doubt many can relate.
Before the night even started, there was a story… the weather. All day the forecasters had been predicting an 80-100% probability of thunderstorms during the performance. As late as 4PM that afternoon, it looked like there would be some impact, possibly severe in the show. The story? It never happened. As a matter of fact, the weather turned out to be quite nice for a wonderful show. It was almost like the weather gods had a desire to hear and see her story too.
I am not going to go song by song as I normally do, they are listed below in the setlist. I want to focus on the big picture performance and the story.
Her stage performance has always been strong but it is safe to say that she has upped the game when it comes to the visual performance. Her musical performance is and always has been beyond powerful. She appeared to have more dancers, more dance moves, and more interesting acrobatics in the performance. The background was also quite interesting because, to me, it had a very spiritual feel and seemed to be indicative of a battle between good and evil, or perhaps just light and dark. Is that Duality?
To get an idea of her choreography for the performance, check out her video for “Monday Not Sick Anymore”
As I said, given the electro-string nature of ARKAI, they were a perfect opener for Lindsey… but apparently there was more to the story. For those who did not know, they had collaborated with Lindsey and created “High Noon“. ARKAI took the stage and performed alongside Lindsey!
As I recall, there were some aerial stunts in the first two performances I captured, but nothing compared what she was able to do this show. Perhaps it is because I have had the good fortune of getting involved with a local aerial company in Richmond that I have a greater appreciation for the work that goes into aerial performances, but as I watched Lindsey and some of her dancers, doing aerial stunts, I was floored. I cannot imagine how difficult it must be to hang upside down, with two strips of cloth between you and a freefall, all while drawing the bow flawlessly over the strings.
Not only can she play while being suspended above the ground… upside down, she sings and tells stories also. Her vocals in “ForeverGlow” were powerful. We also got a glimpse of the background of the song as it was about the loss of her best friend and father.
In the tradition of her father, she told her story about her father. He was a wonderful story teller. She learned that the flow of the story is important (is music a story?), but the well-time pause is just… if not more important. Her father was a pro when it came to the art of the pause. The pause is when you sit back and reflect, take a breath, maybe hold the hand of your spouse. We felt it in “Serenity Found“.
Amidst the rings and other aerial feats, she talked of the caterpillar wanting to be a butterfly… to reach the sky… but could not escape the cocoon. The other insects helped it escape and made it easy. Without the struggle, the wings could not develop, they could not be strong. The easy way had killed the dream of the caterpillar. Without the struggle, the sky was out of reach (pause) until it was given another chance, with a second cocoon.
From caterpillars to “Crystalize” to “Firefly Alley“, the night was aglow. You get physically exhausted keeping up with her energy and tears come to your eyes listening to the struggle, followed by the smile when you feel the power of overcoming the struggle. Is that duality?
Winding down the evening, riding into the already set sun into the night, she finished with her most recent single, “Untamed” and finished this chapter of the Duality story with “Eye of the Untold Her”
As we left for the night, we were already anticipating the next page of the story. Will duality be tamed or will the duality become singular? Given the Lindsey story, it is likely a safe bet to assume, neither.
Lindsey Stirling Gallery
Lindsey Stirling Setlist
Kashmir
Underground
Sandstorm / Elements
Monday Not Sick Anymore
Artemis
High Noon w/ARKAI
Mirage
Evil Twin
Forever Glow
Serenity Found
Shatter Me
Kintsugi
Crystallize
Firefly Alley
Roundtable Rival
Purpose
Untamed
Eye of the Untold Her
Show Date: July 7, 2026
