Paramore frontwoman Hayley Williams is calling on rock fans to look beyond stadium-sized concerts and support smaller, rising artists. During a recent show, Williams encouraged the crowd to invest their time and money in local and independent music scenes.
Williams’ remarks centered on the importance of independent venues and grassroots shows, which she described as the foundation of a healthy music community.
“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 stressed that she did not mean to diminish the value of large-scale performances. She wants fans to broaden where they direct their attention.
“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 said.
Williams then named several settings where fans could get involved.
“Go to the house shows, go to the DIY shows, be a part of your local shows,” she continued.
Where she delivered the message adds weight to it. Williams made the appeals on her 2026 solo tour, The Hayley Williams Show, not at a Paramore concert. The run includes large theater and amphitheater dates, among them a sold-out night at Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View, California. She is pushing the message while playing the biggest rooms of her solo career.
The state of the grassroots scene shows why she is pressing the point. In the UK, 30 grassroots music venues closed permanently in the past year. About 175 towns and cities no longer receive regular touring shows by professional artists. More than half of smaller independent venues operate at a loss. On average, one closes roughly every week.
Rising operating costs and a difficult hospitality market drive much of that pressure. The closures reach beyond individual businesses. Small stages are where new artists build their first audiences and local musicians find regular work. They also connect touring circuits to communities.
Some venues have survived through public support. The Hunter Club in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, faced closure in March after its longtime manager left. Musicians and local fans spoke out. The grassroots music centre reopened in August after almost four months and has since hosted a weekend of live performances.
Williams’ appeal fits a pattern on this tour of speaking directly to her crowds about community and politics. Here, she is asking fans to move some of their attention and spending toward the artists and spaces that sustain the wider scene.
