I made my way into Brookside Park on the second day of Arroyo Seco Weekend feeling sun-soaked and slightly dazed from a long afternoon of music. Pasadena in late June doesn’t exactly let you off easy, and by early evening the festival grounds had that shimmering glow that only comes after a full day of heat and sound. Everyone around me seemed to share the same low-key anticipation. We were tired, sure, but we were also waiting for Alanis Morissette—someone whose music had lived in our heads and car stereos since the mid-90s.
The main stage buzzed as the crew cleared gear and tuned guitars. When Alanis finally walked out, there was a ripple of cheers that grew into a roar. She strode on calmly, looking confident but relaxed, as if stepping into a conversation she’d been having with us for decades. The band settled into place, the lights warmed to a soft gold, and the opening chords of the first song hit.
Setlist
Here’s the exact sequence she played that night:
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All I Really Want
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Hands Clean
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Head Over Feet
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Guardian
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Hand in My Pocket
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You Learn
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Ironic
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You Oughta Know
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Uninvited
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Thank U
Opening Blast: A Jagged Start
The show kicked off with “All I Really Want,” a perfect tone-setter. That snaky harmonica line and percussive groove immediately pulled everyone to their feet. Alanis’s voice came through clear and strong—lower than on the original recording, but richer, with the kind of depth that only years of performing can bring. It felt like an invocation, a statement of purpose. This wasn’t going to be a half-hearted festival appearance. She was here to connect.
Without a pause, the band jumped into “Hands Clean.” For fans who’d followed her beyond Jagged Little Pill, this was a thrill. The song’s sly melody and confessional lyrics carried beautifully across the outdoor space, and it was clear the audience knew every word. Watching Alanis toss her hair and lean into the mic during the chorus was like watching someone reclaim a story that had always belonged to her.
Mid-Set Magic: Love, Guardianship, and Pocket Philosophy
The mood softened for “Head Over Feet,” one of the sweetest and most enduring love songs in her catalog. Couples swayed, friends hugged, and even strangers found themselves singing harmonies together. Alanis delivered it with a warmth that felt genuine, smiling between lines as if she could see the memories the song was triggering all around her.
Then came “Guardian,” a more recent track that gave the set a modern heartbeat. It’s a song about protection and unconditional love, and it sounded luminous in the open air. The contrast between her 90s angst and this newer, more nurturing material was striking—proof of how far she’s traveled as a songwriter and a person.
The energy spiked again with “Hand in My Pocket.” That song has always been a crowd-pleaser, and it turned the festival lawn into a giant sing-along. I could hear people behind me shouting the punch lines, laughing at the wry optimism that still feels fresh decades later.
She followed with “You Learn,” which felt like the set’s emotional hinge. Its message of growth through experience has aged gracefully, and Alanis performed it with a knowing smile, as if the lyric “You live, you learn” had been tested and proven many times over in her own life.
Crowd Catharsis: Irony and Fury
As twilight deepened, Alanis introduced “Ironic,” perhaps her most famous anthem. The opening guitar lick drew an instant roar, and the entire field became a choir. Hearing thousands of voices belt out those wry examples of life’s twisted sense of humor was pure festival magic. Alanis leaned into the crowd for the final chorus, letting us carry the lines while she added playful ad-libs.
But the night’s true explosion came with “You Oughta Know.” That unmistakable bass line sent a jolt through the audience, and the energy skyrocketed. Alanis unleashed the song’s fury with controlled precision—still raw, still cathartic, but now tempered by maturity. Watching her deliver those searing lines in 2018, you could feel the history in every note, but also the freedom of someone who has long since moved past the pain.
Encore Intensity: Uninvited and Grateful
After a brief pause, the stage lights dimmed to an eerie blue for “Uninvited.” The song’s haunting piano intro set a moody, cinematic tone. Alanis’s vocals floated over the brooding arrangement, equal parts vulnerability and power. The performance built to a dramatic crescendo, the band swirling around her as she held the final notes with breathtaking control.
She closed the night with “Thank U,” a perfect benediction. Its message of gratitude and acceptance felt like a collective exhale after the emotional highs that came before. People swayed, some with eyes closed, some with arms around friends or partners. It was a warm, communal end to a set that had touched every corner of her career.
The Performance
What struck me most was Alanis’s presence. She doesn’t rely on flashy staging or elaborate choreography. Instead, she commands attention through sheer authenticity. Her movements are unhurried but purposeful, her expressions open and unguarded. Every gesture, from a subtle hand flick to a sudden vocal surge, carries intention.
Her voice remains a marvel. It’s evolved since the 90s—slightly lower, more textured—but it still cuts through with that signature mix of sweetness and bite. She bends notes in unexpected ways, turning familiar melodies into fresh emotional statements. On songs like “You Oughta Know,” the growl is still there, but now it feels more like a choice than an outburst.
The band deserves equal credit. They were tight but flexible, giving the older material a bit of modern polish without stripping it of its raw edges. Guitar lines shimmered in the night air, the rhythm section drove the grooves with understated power, and the keyboard textures filled out the sonic space beautifully.
The Crowd and the Setting
Festival audiences can be fickle, but Alanis drew one of the most engaged crowds of the weekend. From teenagers discovering her music for the first time to longtime fans reliving their 90s glory days, everyone seemed locked in. During quiet moments like the opening of “Uninvited,” the chatter dropped to a respectful hush. During the sing-alongs, the sound of thousands of voices was almost overwhelming.
Brookside Park itself added to the experience. The trees around the field caught the stage lights, creating a natural canopy that made the space feel intimate despite the festival’s size. As the sky shifted from gold to deep blue, the music seemed to settle into the landscape, each song carrying a different shade of evening.
Highlights and Reflections
The set wasn’t long—just ten songs—but it was expertly curated. By focusing on the essentials, Alanis turned a festival slot into a concise career statement. The arc from the searching opener “All I Really Want” to the grateful closer “Thank U” felt intentional, almost narrative. She invited us to travel with her from restless youth to hard-won serenity.
Personally, the moments that stayed with me were the contrasts: the youthful defiance of “Hand in My Pocket” rubbing against the mature calm of “Guardian,” the playful irony of “Ironic” giving way to the scorched-earth fury of “You Oughta Know,” and finally the gentle acceptance of “Thank U.” It was like watching the emotional journey of an entire life compressed into one summer evening.
Final Thoughts
When the last notes faded and the crowd began to disperse, I realized how deeply Alanis’s music still resonates. These songs were the soundtrack to messy breakups, road trips, late-night dorm conversations, and quiet moments of self-discovery. Hearing them live, with Alanis fully present and clearly at peace with her past, felt both nostalgic and refreshingly current.
The Arroyo Seco set may have been shorter than a full headlining concert, but it packed the punch of a greatest-hits showcase while offering glimpses of the artist she’s become. Alanis didn’t need pyrotechnics or endless stage banter; she let the songs do the heavy lifting. And for an hour on a warm Pasadena evening, those songs felt just as vital as they did when they first shook the airwaves more than two decades ago.
If you ever doubt the staying power of a truly great songwriter, spend a festival night with Alanis Morissette. You’ll walk away sweaty, smiling, maybe a little hoarse from singing—and reminded that honesty and melody never go out of style.