This was Grace’s first headline tour. All 13 shows were sold out. (The last show was at a college, and we have no information about attendance).
The band
For the first eight shows percussion was played by Elijah Wood who had accompanied Grace at all her shows and TV-performances since AGT Semi-finals. For the last shows the drums were taken over by Ben Masters who would be Grace’s drummer all the way through to the pandemic. For all most all of the tour, the guitar was played by Destiny Petrel, who had been playing for Grace since the Austin City Limits shows in October 2017. At the very last show, this spot was taken over by Melissa Dougherty, who would be Grace’s guitarist until the pandemic. Gabe Rudner on keyboards had been playing for Grace since the Ellen show in September 2017. His spot was later taken over by Nolan Frank who would also be musical director for Grace’ shows until the pandemic.
The reviewers said (selected experts, see the individual shows for more)
"This isn't the green AGT VanderWaal. This is a mature recording artist." (USA Today dec 16 2019)
"Grace Vanderwaal is Honest and Empathetic … She resonated with the audience because of her raw vocal talent and magnetic stage presence." (Nicole T. Sturgis / The Harvard Crimson)
"Inside the club was a massively enthralled and enthused crowd and it didn't take long for me, one of the few older guys in the club, to also be completely swept away by her performance. It was a dazzling show that felt fresh, sincere, bold but also simple, (Bob Boilen NPR June 6, 2018) (He came to the concert believing it to be with another artist, and later invited her to perform at the NPR tiny desk)
"Her vocal range is quite expansive and versatile; she can go from a soft whisper or a raspy growl to a straight up empowering roar. Her lyrics are thoughtful and engaging, unlike a lot of the other ubiquitous nonsense occupying the pop music sphere today. Anyone who has witnessed Grace perform on television or in person … she has an unbelievable amount of poise and confidence for someone her age. She commanded the audience and the stage — whether it was standing prominently at the centre or dangling her feet while sitting on the edge — better than some performers multiple times her age" . (Park Life DC 2 July 18)
"Her stage presence and vocal ability coming across like that of an industry veteran." (Nashville Noise February 10, 2018)
"Grace Vanderwaal holds nothing back. Vanderwaal conducted herself with both high energy and restraint, …Her impressive vocals pierced through the roaring crowd, who served almost as her backup singers…" (Alexander Elmore/The sentry Feb. 28, 2018)
"Grace Vanderwaal is a gem in various ways and what makes her an even better artist is that she sounds exactly how she does on her tracks, if not better when she sings live. The raspiness of her voice is a trademark of hers and makes her a unique singer." (Rain City Concerts 25 Feb. 2018)