Only Love Tour Explained

Concert Tour Name:Only Love Tour
Border:yes
Artist:Kesha
Location:North America
Album:Gag Order
Number Of Shows:26
Last Tour:Kesha Live
(2021)
This Tour:Only Love Tour
(2023)
Next Tour:...

The Only Love Tour (originally dubbed the Gag Order Tour[1]) was the sixth headlining concert tour by American singer Kesha, in support of her fifth studio album, Gag Order (2023). She announced the tour on May 30, 2023, with Jake Wesley Rogers as the supporting act. The tour began on October 15, 2023, at The Factory in Dallas, Texas and concluded on November 26 at Hard Rock Live Sacramento in Wheatland, California.[2] [3]

Background

Since 2014, Kesha has been involved in a legal battle against her former producer and longtime collaborator, Dr. Luke, putting her career on hold.[4] She released her final album under RCA Records and the Dr. Luke owned Kemosabe Records, Gag Order on May 19, 2023. The record saw Kesha dive into her more vulnerable side, as well as alluding to the lawsuit for the first time in her music. In June 2023, Kesha and Dr. Luke released a joint statement saying they have reached a settlement, about a month before the case was to go to trial.[5]

Kesha described the tour to be a combination of joy, celebration, and moments of extreme, raw, vulnerability. The tour will also see performances of songs from her fourth album, High Road, as the coronavirus pandemic prevented Kesha from fully touring that album. Kesha also brought up the possibility of performing songs she isn't fond of. "There are definitely some songs that are not my favorites," she said to People magazine, "but I feel like I don't want to tell my fans that because if it's their number-one most favorite song, I don't want to kill the vibe. I also am open to, on this tour, playing some of the songs that are maybe not my favorites and creating new memories around them."[6]

During a show in Boston, Kesha addressed the name change from the "Gag Order Tour" to the "Only Love Tour" by saying with all of life's difficulties, the only thing she could make sense of it all, referring to the lawsuit settlement, was love.

Critical reception

Sophia Solano of The Washington Post gave a positive review of the October 29, 2023, show. She praised the maturity in Kesha's voice calling it "powerful". She notes that she is "free", referring to the lawsuit between the singer and Dr. Luke that lasted nearly a decade.[7]

Set list

This set list is from the show on October 15, 2023, in Dallas.[8] It does not represent all concerts for the tour.

  1. "Only Love Can Save Us Now"
  2. "Tik Tok"
  3. "Cannibal"
  4. "Backstabber"
  5. "Raising Hell"
  6. "Take It Off"
  7. "Good Old Days" (interlude)
  8. "Eat the Acid"
  9. "Till the World Ends"
  10. "Hymn"
  11. "Hate Me Harder"
  12. "Ram Dass Interlude"
  13. "Timber"
  14. "Your Love Is My Drug"
  15. "Die Young"
  16. "Blow"
Encore
  1. "Praying"
  2. "We R Who We R"

Additional notes

Tour dates

Date (2023)!scope="col" style="width:10em;"
CityCountryVenueOpening act(s)
October 15DallasUnited StatesThe FactoryJake Wesley Rogers
October 16AustinMoody Theater
October 18New OrleansOrpheum Theater
October 20OrlandoHard Rock Live
October 21AtlantaThe Eastern
October 23NashvilleRyman Auditorium
October 24
October 26NewportMegaCorp Pavilion
October 28LedyardFoxwoods Resort Casino
October 29WashingtonThe Anthem
October 31PhiladelphiaThe Met
November 1BostonMGM Music Hall
November 3New York CityHammerstein Ballroom
November 4
November 6TorontoCanadaHistory
November 7DetroitUnited StatesMasonic Temple
November 9ChicagoAragon Ballroom
November 11MilwaukeeThe Rave/Eagles Club
November 12Prior LakeMystic Showroom
November 14DenverMission Ballroom
November 17OaklandFox Theatre
November 18Los AngelesHollywood Palladium
November 20AnaheimHouse of Blues Anaheim
November 24Las VegasPearl Concert TheaterFlyana Boss
November 25RenoGrand Sierra Resort & Casino
November 26WheatlandHard Rock Live Sacramento

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Gonzalez . Rebekah . Kesha Changes Name of Her 'Gag Order' Tour After A 'Transformative Year' . . . December 19, 2023 . United States . en . September 14, 2023.
  2. Blistein. Jon. May 30, 2023. Kesha Announces 2023 Tour Dates in Support of 'Gag Order' – Rolling Stone. live. Rolling Stone. https://web.archive.org/web/20230530165718/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/kesha-2023-tour-dates-gag-order-1234743931/. May 30, 2023. June 1, 2023.
  3. Kesha. Kesha. KeshaRose. 1664633453596352512. June 2, 2023. ADDED MORE DATES BC YALL ATE THEM UP, BREAKFAST AND LUNCH GAG ORDER TOUR TIX ON SALE NOW. https://keshaofficial.com/tour/. June 3, 2023.
  4. Web site: Kesha's Live Rebirth: What Her 'Fuck the World' Tour Means for Her Future . Pitchfork . 8 August 2016 . 25 October 2016 . Maria Sherman.
  5. Web site: Kesha and Dr. Luke Settle Legal Battle Ahead of Trial. June 22, 2023. October 16, 2023. Ashley. Cullins. The Hollywood Reporter.
  6. Kesha Says She's at 'Peace' and 'Happier Than Ever' as She Prepares for Upcoming Gag Order Tour (Exclusive). Irvin. Jack. June 28, 2023. PEOPLE.
  7. Web site: Her ‘Gag Order’ lifted, Kesha is more free than ever at the Anthem. The Washington Post. October 30, 2023. Sophia. Solano. November 2, 2023.
  8. Web site: Kesha's 'Only Love Tour' Setlist. Lane. Lexi. October 16, 2023. uproxx.com. November 2, 2023. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20231017020259/https://uproxx.com/pop/kesha-only-love-tour-setlist/. October 17, 2023.
  9. Web site: Review & setlist: ‘The party don’t start ‘til’ Kesha walks into MGM Music Hall at Fenway. Boston.com. November 2, 2022. Emde. Laura.