King Princess Brings the “Girl Violence” Tour Home With a Fierce Final Night
Article written by and photos by Kili Goodrich
Walking into the Wiltern on the final night of King Princess’ Girl Violence US Tour felt like stepping into the end of a storm. There was electricity in the air. Even though the sun had set, the night was already feeling restless. As a photojournalist, I’m used to documenting concerts from behind the lens. King Princess left me, a once disciplined observer, transformed into buzzed chaos. It was easy to fall into place of the dancing ecstatic fans. King Princess performed like a siren. Absolutely magnetic, mischievous, and entirely in command. Every jump, every riff, every moment she sprawled across the stage felt like she was pulling the strings of an entire room. I feel like it's safe to speak for everyone and say we were hopelessly entranced.
The night opened with ‘Cherry,’ and I realized immediately just how deep the mythology of this era runs. Fans dotted the crowd in cherry-shaped hats showing allegiance to the singer's fictional villain. Cherry, the toxic antagonist of the Girl Violence universe, loomed large in the visuals and storytelling. As she sang, King Princess leaned into the chaos of yearning for someone destructive. Her voice twisted around the song’s tension. Dangerous, and deliciously self-aware. ‘Jamie’ arrived on the back of deafening roars. The cheers were so loud. King Princess, real name Mikaela Straus, was forced to pause. The force of gratitude made her lean back with a wide smile. I witnessed her soak in the love like it was going to be the fuel to power the night.
'The Bend,’ shifted into smooth vocals with little cracks of vulnerability piercing through. The lighting was swallowed by saturation. My camera couldn’t help but follow the small emotional cues of her jaw clenching. Along with her eyes searching, and guitar hanging lower as she leaned into the ache. I took notice of the pink guitar strap that danced her stage name in thin lettering. ‘Girls’ swung the energy with a punch of queer ache and chaos. The room tightened. Staus strutted with a worn smirk, knowing that the lyrics she sang matched with how the crowd was feeling. “Girls bring me to my knees.” Her voice slid across the song’s edges.
When that opening beat hit of ‘Pussy Is God,’ the crowd lost it. The air went feral. Phones shot up and bodies pushed forward. ‘Cheap Queen’ floated on that buzzing energy. Before ‘Prophet,’ Straus rolled a giant orange dice. The action came with announcing that fate would choose the next song. When it landed on “Everyone in the band takes a shot,” the band looked ready to commit. Instead King Princess grinned and said, “The thing about it being my show is that I can do anything I want. We’re doing ‘Prophet.’” The reaction was explosive with love for the older song. The message was clear: it’s King Princess’ world, and we’re all delightfully at her mercy.
The title track of the era hit. ‘Girl Violence’ was boldly theatrical. During ‘PAIN,’ the Wiltern floor literally shook. At this time, I’d been up in the mezzanine, feeling the structure of the building quake. Every foot jumped. Every hand was thrown up. All collective catharsis vibrated under the soles of my shoes. ‘Cry, Cry, Cry,’ allowed her voice to wrap around the melody like a bruise blooming. High energy returned fast with ‘Hit the Back.’ What begins as a calm scene of the piano quickly explodes like a match to gasoline. Bodies were bouncing, screaming, sweating all over again.
Before ‘Talia,’ Straus sat on the steps and looked out over the crowd. Wearing a soft smile, she took a moment to thank everyone who had been with her since the beginning. You could feel the long-time fans raise their arms a little higher. A unique tradition of this tour is that a fan gets chosen to tag the massive billboard-like ‘Cherry’ backdrop with the city name. “LA” was sprayed in thick, sweating letters. After the fan tagged, King Princess grabbed the can herself and added “Girl Violence” across the art. An artistic close to this chapter of tour.
Fans were eager for an encore. Everyone stayed put selfishly wanting the night to never end. When King Princess returned to the stage ‘1950,’ of course, was performed. Her very first song. Written while she was still at UCLA. Tucked into a dorm unaware of the career that was about to beautifully bloom. Being sung in Los Angeles on the final night of the tour had weight to it. Nostalgia mixed with pride. Then came the beautiful chaos. ‘Ohio’ exploded with that unhinged rock-show intensity. By the final chords, she was destroying the drum set. Full annihilation mode. It was the perfect ending. All wild and unapologetic. Something completely her own.
Leaving the Wiltern my camera was full. Yet it didn’t feel like the real proof of what happened. King Princess performed like a force of nature. A siren singing her song. Compelling in tender, and vibrant performances. Everyone walked out with a vibrant crimson aura. The final night of the Girl Violence Tour was the cinematic closing chapter of an era she built from the ground up. All of us were lucky enough to witness the riot. We all walked out with a uniformed thought of an eagerness to witness King Princess again.
