The Ur So Beautifull tour was Grace’s second headline tour., with 27 shows over the span of seven weeks, with very little time to rest. By the end of the tour Grace’s voice was giving up, and she had to cut the last show short.
Band: She had her regular band with her all the way (going back to the Evolve tour in 2018): Melisa Dougherty on guitar and backing vocals, Nolan Frank on keyboards and backing vocals and Ben Masters on percussion (Nolan was Grace’s music director on the Evolve tour, but did not play in the band for that tour due to prior commitments) .At the show at The Observatory in Santa Anna, California, Grace invited her Stargirl costar Graham Verchere on stage to sing Big Star's "Thirteen" (featured in the movie), with her. Grace graciously gave most of the spotlight to Graham and encouraged the audience to applaud and support him. (This was before the release of the movie and many in the audience may not have known who Graham was or what role he played in the movie).
Opener:Jade Jackson. opened on the first half of the tour. Jade is an American country musician. Her music is a blend of country, blues, and folk with a dash of rock & roll. She released her first album, "Gilded", in 2017 and her second album "Wilderness" in 2019. In 2017 Jackson was featured on Rolling Stone's list "10 New Country Artists You Need to Know". Rolling Stone called her "a goth-folk chanteuse”" Jade and her siblings grew up without radio or television, listening instead to the collection of records their parents had on hand, from classic country artists like Johnny Cash, Hank Williams, and Townes Van Zandt to alternative rock such as the Smiths, the Cure, and Echo and the Bunnymen. (Based on Wikipedia ´Nov 2020, Rolling Stone Feb 14, 2017, LA Times June 26 ,2019, allmusic.com - undated)
Opener for the second half of the tour was Patrick Martin. Patrick Martin is a singer- songwriter from Saukville, WI. He graduated from Marquette University in 2016 with a dual degree in psychology and philosophy, after which he threw himself into a career in music. Inspired by the likes of Queen, Jeff Buckley and Coldplay, His live experience at the time included a support performance for Martin Garrix at Summer Fest as well as an opening slot at Spring Awakening for headliner Dillon Francis. (ascap.com, early 2019). Patrick’s tour with Grace, was his first live tour.
Outfits: Unlike on the Evolve tour where Grace wore the same outfit for every show, she varied her outfits for this tour. She talk to Fashionsta.com about them: “VanderWaal is also still self-styled — she's her own glam team, too — and she's having as much fun with the practice as ever. Her tastes have veered more toward the '70s now, and she's turned her attention to a mix of capital-D "Designers" — she name-checks the likes of Gucci, Chloé, Marc Jacobs and even a little vintage Jean Paul Gaultier — alongside the more indie darlings; punchy and feminine Brooklyn-based ready-to-wear label Suzanne Rae is a recent favorite.
Has her on-stage outfit formula changed now that she's headlining her own show? Not as far as dressing for herself, and herself only, is concerned. "i>I'm not a huge brand person. I don't look at the tag or the name. I'm not going to see an item and be like, 'Oh, I'm not wearing it because it's not couture,'" she says. "I love '70s colors, colorful things and homemade things, ripped pieces and ribbons." (Fashionista.com September 2019.
Reviews:
“ [she] …put on an impressive show for anyone of any age, … For a 15-year-old – the talent, the stage presence, the charm – she’s simply lovable. … “ (The Getaway Journals – travelwriter Blog)
“No one opened for the teen — and no one needed to. This was a rare show where the crowd didn’t need to be warmed up before the headliner. Her stage presence and vocal ability coming across like that of an industry veteran.” (Nashville Noise Feb. 20, 2018)
”So full of life and a very radiant happiness, Grace Vanderwaal came out in Houston and absolutely rocked it. [She proved] her talent in every way possible. Whether it be interacting with her fans, dancing along to every beat or singing songs like “Ur So Beautiful”, Grace sure knows how to run a show. … It was impossible to not mirror her energy. Coming across a performer like Grace Vanderwaal is uncommon in every way. …. Leaving a Grace Vanderwaal show is leaving with memories, encouragement, and positivity.” (HTX Vox, Houston based music blog, Aug. 21, 2019]
"…the audience was pulled into the world of Grace Vanderwall, a unique experience. Her singing voice was also very mature, deeper and stronger [than when she was younger]. … [she has an] expressive singing voice that keeps fans enthusiastic about the show even if she does an unfamiliar song. … This is something that pop stars who are 10 or 20 years older than her cannot achieve.” (Slightly edited excerpts of a machine translation of the original Japanese article, posted on the FanderWall News Facebook page, Miho Suzuki for the Japanese music magazine rockinon.com)
“Grace Vanderwaal … made a great connection with her fans throughout the night. …The depth and maturity of her music truly make her a unique artist.” (Review by: Daisy Beltran Soundcheck411.com)
“…she was terrific. She has a voice of an angel, plays the ukulele like a pro and runs around stage with such a joyful exuberance, you can’t help but smile. Her songs reflect her youth but also show maturity well past her years. How does she write lyrics that make my jaded middle-aged heart cry?" /i> (Greeblehaus 14 oct 2019)
"Her voice is mature and golden, and she is charismatic and relaxed on stage. I was blown away by both her stage presence and talent. Constantly interacting with the audience, she gave the sold-out show a very intimate and genuine feel.” /i> (Glasse Factory Sep. 5, 2019)
“Vanderwaal created an atmosphere that was not only entertaining and welcoming, but encouraging and breathtaking for her audience. [she] performs with the maturity and skill higher than those decades older than her. Her vocals are captivating and harmonious. She carries herself with confidence on stage.” (Kailey Howell / Resurget Magazine)
Her voice sounds great on ... recordings but her live voice is even more impressive. She has something that you are born with and can’t teach. Tone. ... Oh did I mention that Grace VanderWaal is only FIFTEEN? Yeah.. I’m in awe as well. (I literally said to myself during her performance..”how the heck does she have a voice like this??”)” (Tommy Marz, SoundVapors, Sep. 10, 2019)
“Throughout the show, Vanderwaal carried herself with maturity and class. She smiled constantly and the positive energy she exuded was contagious. Her vocal range is also as impressive in person as it is on TV. People of all ages were at Friday’s show, from children holding up posters of her name to young adults drinking vodka cranberries and enjoying the show.” (The Daily Free Press, Sep. 16, 2019)
“Grace VanderWaal played a fantastic set and has a truly unique voice. If you closed your eyes, you would probably have no idea that she was so young because of it. I think that in this way it’s also nice to see that she could appeal to an older audience as well.” (Photographer Nicole Dibenedetto, for Soundbites Media, Sep. 19, 2019)
“Grace’s onstage presence was equal parts joyful teenage girl and seasoned young artist… even though she had a cold, she would still put on a great show. Despite her illness, Grace’s voice was incredible — her attitude and her connection to the crowd felt genuine. …Grace Vanderwaal is not just some musician riding the high of viral memedom; she’s a young artist with boundless vision and incredible enthusiasm…” (Elece Smith ”The Diamondback” September 22, 2019)