Following the October release of their critically acclaimed album The Great Impersonator, Halsey has returned to the stage with the For My Last Trick Tour. Kicking off in early May and running through mid-July, the singer, songwriter, and actor is back in full force. Halsey has proven to be busier, bolder, and more theatrical than ever. With a focus on the June 8th stop at Mohegan Sun, we will unpack everything from Halsey’s performance and setlist all the way to her stage design.
The tour is structured into multiple acts, each divided into segments that represent key moments from Halsey’s life while playing into the whimsical Alice in Wonderland motif.
Act I begins with Alice Fell Down The Rabbit Hole and unfolds through segments like ‘I Wanna Be Big’, ‘Alice Is Too Big’, ‘Alice Is Too Small’, ‘Alice Has Had Enough’, and ‘Alice Wakes Up’. From there, Act II begins, titled The Show. At this particular Mohegan Sun stop, the night included a bonus act (Act III) called ‘Dealer’s Choice’. This final section allowed die-hard fans in the crowd to help shape the setlist in real time, a clever trick Halsey saved specifically for this show.
Halsey Takes The Stage
Swiftly, around 9 pm, the stage curtain closed, and the pre show visuals began. Before Halsey took the stage, there were videos plastered all over the big screens depicting them as Alice from Alice in Wonderland and going through all the motifs that came with that impersonation. In addition to the literary nod, they were also referencing their track “Alice From The Upper Class,” which shaped the visuals for the For My Last Trick Tour.
Following the opening visuals, Halsey took the stage to perform “Darwinism” on the piano before stepping back for the larger than life introduction of their hit “Bad at Love.” Dressed in a burlesque-inspired outfit, they performed inside a giant martini glass in a nod to the iconic Dita Von Teese. This set featured a series of dancers, dramatic costume changes, and carefully choreographed theatrical moments. Halsey knows how to command a stage, remaining the center of attention whether they are twirling in the oversized martini glass, belting their 2017 track “Alone,” or performing their song “Lucky,” which embodies Britney Spears’ 2000 hit of the same name.
Being the longest act of the show, Act I was split into segments as we discussed before. Each segment featured an outfit change, as well as an overarching theme from Halsey’s life. For example, in the segment ‘Alice Is Too Small’, Halsey taps into the feeling of being ignored, underestimated, or made to feel like they don’t belong. “Lilith” shows her trying to stay in control, even when she feels powerless underneath. “Angel on Fire” captures the sadness of fading into the background and wondering if anyone still cares. Then in “The Lighthouse,” they flip the script, turning quiet frustration into powerful angst.
Act II Begins
Jumping into Act II, she opened with “Lonely is the Muse”, a dark and reflective track for Halsey. When diving into the concepts and ideation behind the scenes of these acts with Variety, Halsey mentioned the importance of this track:
“Lonely Is the Muse’ is a really important opening to Act 2 because this song is about my relationship with being sort of … objectified is not the right word, but more like turned into like a symbol or a concept. So it’s interesting to play archetype for an hour, and then come back with a song that is really sort of an act of rebellion. It’s also a song that in a way kind of also holds the audience accountable — which my fans all know; it’s not a call-out, but more just like an observation. I think it’s just interesting to come back in Act 2 and say, ‘Hey, so these last 10 years that I’ve spent representing something to you … we just spanned that whole decade in the past hour to come back with a song that talks about how doing that was a really lonely time for me.“
– Halsey for Variety
The second act of Halsey’s tour strongly conveys their narrative and experiences through the opening track. It featured some of Halsey’s most popular songs like “Colors” and “Closer”, but reimagined in a more punk/rock style fitting their most recent releases like the critically acclaimed If I Can’t Have Love I Want Power.
This show in particular Halsey included a very special third act called ‘Dealer’s Choice’. This act featured live fan interactions, involving individuals from the crowd alongside Halsey. Halsey was seemingly lurking online to find specific couple that was in the crowd that night to play them a special song from their discography: “Finally // Beautiful Stranger”.
Setlist
The setlist below features all tracks performed by Halsey on the June 8th stop of their For My Last Trick Tour. This setlist features surprise songs and special acts making it completely different from any other show on this tour.
Act 1: Alice Fell Down the Rabbit Hole
- “Darwinism”
- “Bad at Love”
- “Alone”
- “Lucky”
- Dog Years”
- “I am not a woman, I’m a god”
- “Control”
- “Lilith”
- “Angel on Fire”
- “The Lighthouse”
- “Panic Attack”
- “Graveyard”
- “Only Living Girl in LA”
Act 2: The Show
- “Lonely is the Muse”
- “Gasoline”
- “3am”
- “Colors” (Rock Version)
- “You should be sad”
- “Closer” (Rock Version)
- “Nightmare”
Act 3: Dealer’s Choice
- “honey”
- “Roman Holiday”
- “Finally // Beautiful Stranger”
- “Without Me”
- “The Great Impersonator”
Last Trick, Final Reflections
This tour allowed Halsey the creativity to play with their position following their 2022 diagnosis with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus, and a rare T-cell lymphoproliferative disorder. Halsey utilizes the stage to break down their emotions and experiences having been in the limelight for some time. On paper, this tour is audacious and breaks all boundaries that may have been reserved for a tour.
Their performance is rooted in a theatrical style with acts, segments, and the multitude of genres that Halsey’s career covers. The For My Last Trick Tour was a whirlwind of emotions, and is a 100/10 must-see show on your summer bucket list.
