Tove Lo Spices Up The National in Richmond – The Made for Network Television Review

Warning, this review (including images) has been modified from its original format to allow viewing in all media outlets.

Richmond, VA – I love surprises!! Yes, I went into the Tove Lo performance at The National in Richmond, VA on 2/8/2023 not knowing exactly what to expect (I did have a little idea, though). Thankfully, I met a few people who were more than happy to prepare me (the old man) for what was to come. They told me, “You know, she is really sexy and she flaunts it!!”, which got this geriatric generationer’s attention. I talked with them a bit and we got to know each other (was I like a father to them? It was almost like me explaining Alice Cooper to my father in the late 70s) and then they broke it to me. “Yeah, she will probably flash her BEEP and you will definitely see a lot of BEEP“. This prompted me to consider whether I needed to go to my car and get in my heart meds. It sounded like I was in for one BEEPing awesome show!

Closing my eyes, taking a deep breath and having a self-induced Zen moment, I felt prepared for what was to come. 

The opening act was an artist who goes by the name of Slayyyter. As expected, she delivered an edgy set… ok, more accurately, it was pretty hot. As it turned out, songs such as “Clouds” and “Daddy AF” were the perfect setup for the Tove Lo experience. 

During the pause, my new friends gave me a little additional insight. I thought I was prepared for Tove Lo. When she took the stage, I felt myself having to pick my once solid jaw off the floor. At first glance… well… I thought I would need my heart meds!! Thankfully, it was only the appearance of the clothing she was wearing! The images have been tastefully edited to prevent the social media over reactors and others from having the same initial reaction I did. She opened with “Pineapple Slice” from her newest album, Dirt Femme. The audience went wild with many singing along right from the start (and she was working the crowd). 

Continuing from her current album, she went in to “Attention Whore” followed by “Cool Girl” from her 2016 album, Lady Wood. It was interesting, as about this time, with the sensual beat and seductive rhythm, I was starting to get into it (no, it was not rock and roll, but for some odd reason, my feet and body were moving… as were the feet and bodies of the other approximately 3000 feet at The National). 

A few songs later a very familiar sound caught my ear (you have to check it out, we Boomers remember “Popcorn” from a different era), “2 Die 4” was upbeat and fun. I would point out, while the music was quite familiar, the theme of the song was quite different than the original recording. 

News FLASH, by the time “Talking Body” was played, she had changed into a much more comfortable and somewhat conservative outfit. As I listened to the lyrics (this is the hard part of delving into uncharted musical territory), I sensed there was more to the story than the sensuality. I could not place my finger on it, but it felt like she was sharing a lot of herself with the audience and it was obvious many could relate. 

Her show was fast moving, with Tove Lo often spending time standing over a lighted fan, almost with a Marilyn Monroe vibe (which fit right in with the sensual nature of the music). As can be seen from the setlist, we were treated with the full collection. A few that really caught my ear included “Call on Me“, “Moments“, and “Glad He’s Gone“. The latter being one of the few songs where she let the audience behind the curtain. It was personal and I think everyone could relate. 

The final two songs before the conclusion of the set included “How Long” (listen) and “True Disaster“, both with a similar theme. The audience was in the palm of her hand and gave her one of the longest standing Os I have witnessed. While the music was new to me, what I was seeing was not. There was definitely a connection. 

The encore was memorable with “hey you got drugs?’, “Habits (Stay High)” (this was quite familiar), and “No One Dies From Love“. With that, all was over. 

What was amazing to witness was the audience and the way they responded to Tove Lo. Having just covered Journey a few days prior, the crowd reaction was quite similar, albeit the show was quite (understatement) different. No, I am not, by any means, comparing her work to the bands of my youth. Instead, this whole show helped me realize that to appeal to an audience an artist must tell a story the audience can relate to. It was obvious the sold out crowd could relate to Tove’s music. The tunes I grew up with had a high sense of rebellion against authority while in hot pursuit of a loving… short or long term… relationship. That sense was in the music that defined our generation. As I listened to her music and watched the audience, I really sensed many elements of self-image, driven not as much my how you think others see you, but by your own sense of image. This old man may be reading too much into it. Bottom line, I loved Tove’s performance (no, I did not need my heart meds, thank goodness… and with few exceptions, it was pretty much a PG-13 show). It was edgy, spicey, and I think told quite a story. 

Tove Lo Gallery

Tove Lo Setlist

Encore:

hey you got drugs?
Habits (Stay High)
No One Dies From Love

Show Date: 2/8/2023

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