P!nk at T-Mobile Center, Kansas City MO (2023-10-27)

Trust us, we Fell for P!nk—

One of the most exciting shows on stage and high in the air, P!nk (aka Alecia Beth Moore) brought her Trustfall Tour to the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City for a pair of weekend shows that left audiences breathless and amazed.

The occasion was in support of ninth and latest album, Trustfall (RCA Records) and forget Ringling Brothers, as the already-impressive concert, comes with acrobatics and a high-wire act, like none other. Beginning her show by bungee-jumping from the rafters, things only got more dynamic and daredevil-esque as the show went on.

But first, the evening began with a set from seasoned LA (by way of Milwaukee DJ) Kid Cut Up, who ably put the crowd in a more loose mood, followed by longtime LA indie band Grouplove, in support of their latest, July’s I Want it All Right Now (via Glassnote Records).

The band broke out with 2011 single, “Tongue Tied” (which they worked in, 2/3rds into their ten-song set) and has still been making new fans, ever since. Co-lead singers Hannah Hooper and Christian Zucconi were clearly enjoying themselves, he in a custom band basketball jersey, and she in a tight patterned catsuit.

We caught them live way back in 2011 in Minneapolis, and while they’re still at their best playing a club or small theater, they still made the most of the arena setting, and managed to bring the audience in, for a more intimate performance.

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Following a set change intermission, lights again dimmed, and the crowd roared as the intro video montage immediately energized the crowd who all looked up at the band, performing on raised platforms, with the star attraction nowhere to be found, except on-screen.

Diving headfirst from a high-above position in a glittery pink (of course) one-piece, P!nk began the first of her four acts with a literal thrill set to “Get the Party Started”. Her onstage dancers were accompanied by two more, hanging from rings and taking her back up for flips and leaps as the stage special effects embellished their moves.

“Raise your Glass” brought flamingo motorized Segways along and on 2006’s “Who Knew”, she sang with emotion as dancers interpreted movements around her. 2017’s big radio hit” What About Us” which lyrically speaks to the disillusioned and the left behind, actually became something to unify with in concert, as almost 20,000 people all sang along.

An interpretive sequence set to “Heartbeat” began the second act, then it was into “Turbulence” from the new record with P!nk and a male dancer on aerial silk swings, eventually contorting to her upside-down, singing with full energy. We saw a clip on a recent 60 Minutes broadcast of her trainer standing on her stomach as she sang the show’s songs and can clearly see how well that vocal preparation worked.

All could collectively take a breath for a break into slower songs, such her brave cover of Bob Dylan’s “To Make You Feel My Love” (a cover that Adele has become known for as well) that featured her playing piano. The crowd was back to singing along at loud volume for 2010’s “F**kin’ Perfect” and “Just Like Fire” may have predictably featured vertical bursts of pyro and a brief Justin Derrico guitar solo, but the unexpected was the seamless mashup of adding in part of Pat Benatar’s “Heartbreaker”, who has been previously on board as a support act.

Act III would become the acoustic set, with P!nk changing outfits again and harmonizing on a stripped-down version of 2009’s “Please Don’t Leave Me” with the singer aching the can’t-live-with/can’t-live-without lyrics, “I always say how I don't need you, but it's always gonna come right back to this”.

Don’t Let Me Get Me” brought her vocalists and guitarist Derrico alongside her to a smaller stage on the arena floor as cell phone cameras snapped away to capture that closest look for most. The new “When I Get There” was of her most personal songs of the night, about visiting the grave of her late father and the awareness and self-acceptance celebrated in 2017’s gospel-peppered “I Am Here” brought the slower-paced set, to a positive end.

To open the final act, she was carried by her dancers during her smooth Sade cover and brought the new album’s title track to life as dancers fell from a staircase onto a trampoline, only to bounce back up to their original position.

An extended “Blow Me (One Last Kiss)” found lip-shaped costumers blowing out confetti and that song and the also extended “Never Gonna Not Dance Again” provided the chance for the introductions of everyone on stage.

The single-song encore, going all the way back to 2008 for “So What”, proved to be well worth its wait- the singer saved her best aerial maneuver for last as she flew like a modern pixie all around the arena on a wire trapeze with rotating waist, as confetti showered the cheering audience.

We trusted in P!nk and we fell for the gymnastics, both vocal and literal, and were in awe as a result of the staging, pacing, and overall huge scope of this Trustfall Tour show, and can confidently say, it soared... both literally and figuratively.

 (All Photos by JASON DOMINGUES / Click on any image to enlarge and see in full)