Paramore frontwoman Hayley Williams has encouraged her fans to support the DIY music scene and attend smaller shows, as reported by Consequence.
During a recent performance, Williams spoke about the importance of independent venues and local music communities.
“If I could tell you anything: go to smaller shows than this, go to little shows at independent venues,” Williams said. “Find your people, find your favorite music, and support that. We are all that we f*cking have.”
She also emphasized her appreciation for large-scale performances while reiterating her support for grassroots music. “I don’t ever take these big shows for granted at all, but I want you to go out to the small shows as well,” she continued. “Go to the house shows, go to the DIY shows, be a part of your local shows.”
Her remarks place her firmly within a long-running conversation about how small, independent spaces shape the careers of artists who later fill arenas. The contrast between the rooms she plays now and the rooms she is asking fans to seek out is part of what gives the message its weight.
Paramore’s 2023 This Is Why tour included arena performances across North America, South America, the United Kingdom, and Ireland, with opening acts such as Bloc Party, Foals, The Linda Lindas, Genesis Owusu, and Remi Wolf introducing different audiences to emerging and established artists.
That scale represents a long climb rather than an overnight jump. Paramore’s 2023 and 2024 tours elevated the band from mid-size rock rooms to headlining arenas and major US festivals, and the group has continued an extended touring wave that began around that period.
The same report notes that recent touring has included high-profile stops such as Madison Square Garden in New York and the Kia Forum in Inglewood, California, where crowds of thousands have sung along to songs that span multiple generations of fans. Moving between venues that size and the independent rooms Williams recommends is, in her framing, a matter of responsibility as much as preference.
Those smaller spaces remain fragile. Independent venues operate on thin margins and depend on ticket sales, bar revenue, volunteers, and local loyalty, which is why a direct appeal from an arena-level artist carries practical weight for the scenes she describes.
