Bill Graham Civic Auditorium (San Francisco, CA)
11/23/24
Aurora’s ethereal artistry graced the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium in San Francisco on November 23, 2024, as part of her “What Happened to the Earth?” world tour. The Norwegian singer-songwriter brought a blend of otherworldly energy and grounded humanity to the stage, captivating an audience eager to experience the enchantment of her music. The tour followed the release of her fifth studio album, What Happened To The Heart?
Her set began with a recording of “Goddess of Dusk” playing over the speakers and visuals projected onto the back of the stage, building the anticipation in the crowd. Emerging barefoot – a signature element of her stage presence – and in a flowing white dress, she immediately drew the audience into her world, opening with “Churchyard.” Before beginning “It Happened Quiet,” she paused to share heartfelt thoughts with the audience, urging them to find unity in diversity and compassion in the face of global challenges. Her words were as impactful as her songs, resonating deeply with a crowd that seemed to hang on her every syllable. Her messages were in line with her music; her calls for a rekindling of faith in the goodness of people are underscored by What Happened To The Heart?, an album that cries out for humanity to change. Those moments were balanced by sillier streams of consciousness about whatever tickled her fancy, her word choice and metaphors getting laughter out of the audience. “Runaway”, one of her earliest singles and a breakout hit, was a particularly poignant moment, with the crowd’s voices merging with Aurora’s in a collective expression of longing and freedom.
Throughout the night, people were dancing and flowing with the energy from Aurora’s performance, especially where it was more spacious in the back of the crowd. The night concluded with a piano acoustic rendition of “Murder Song (5, 4, 3, 2, 1)” from her 2016 debut album, All My Demons Greeting Me as a Friend, per fan request, and finally “Invisible Wounds” from What Happened To The Heart? Aurora explained that she finds performing high-energy songs during a finale results in feelings of separation anxiety because of the intense contrast to being back home alone. As such, it was a quieter end to the show, but the audience was clearly left in awe. As the final notes echoed throughout the auditorium, it was clear that Aurora’s performance was not just a concert, but also a communal experience – a luminous example of how art can transcend entertainment to become a vehicle for empathy, reflection, and transformation.
