To celebrate the release of her new studio effort lately I feel EVERYTHING, Willow Smith has debuted Willow In Concert, a 50-minute film that sees the emerging pop-punk powerhouse perform tracks from her new album and chart her musical journey over the past 18 months.
Joined by electric guitar sensation Lari Basilio, Smith serves up rip-roaring live renditions of a string of new tracks including Gaslight, Lipstick and don’t SAVE ME, and calls upon drumming icon Travis Barker for a blistering performance of their co-written track, Transparent Soul.
In the almost-one-hour extravaganza viewers are treated to an abundance of mesmerizing guitar parts courtesy of Basilio, her trusty Ibanez LB1, and her immaculate approach to phrasing and improvisation.
Smith also flexes her incredibly impressive six-string powers – and her eye-catching Ernie Ball Music Man St. Vincent model – by way of some tasty lead lines and pop-punk powerchord passages.
There is, however, one part of the film that stands out above the rest. That is, of course, the grand finale performance that sees Willow Smith shave her hair off live on stage while Lari Basilio sets her fretboard ablaze.
The performative fireworks erupted during the closing stages of a super-charged version of Smith’s seminal smash hit Whip My Hair, with Basilio letting loose on a string of lightning-fast fretboard runs and tasty wailing bends while Smith rips through some chords – and has her hair shaved.
You can watch the entire performance in the video above, with the hair-shaving antics beginning around the 47-minute mark.
Get The Pick Newsletter
All the latest guitar news, interviews, lessons, reviews, deals and more, direct to your inbox!
“I’m thinking of shaving my head during the Whip My Hair performance,” said Smith of the symbolic stunt. “This is going to be my third time in my life shaving my head.
“I’m always shaving my head at monumental times in my life when things are really changing,” she continued. “This is definitely one of those moments.”
Other highlights from the video include a stripped-back performance of Rise, in which Smith demonstrates her oh-so impressive fingerpicking skills on a sunburst Taylor acoustic guitar, and a blistering performance of Grow, featuring Travis Barker and Avril Lavigne.
Thank you for reading 5 articles this month**
Join now for unlimited access
US pricing $3.99 per month or $39.00 per year
UK pricing £2.99 per month or £29.00 per year
Europe pricing €3.49 per month or €34.00 per year
*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription
Matt is a Senior Staff Writer, writing for Guitar World, Guitarist and Total Guitar. He has a Masters in the guitar, a degree in history, and has spent the last 16 years playing everything from blues and jazz to indie and pop. When he’s not combining his passion for writing and music during his day job, Matt records for a number of UK-based bands and songwriters as a session musician.
“When he saw the guitars, he goes, ‘John’s going back to the Chili Peppers.’ I said, ‘No way is he ever going back’”: John Frusciante’s former guitar tech on the moment he realized the guitarist could be rejoining the Red Hot Chili Peppers
“Push comes to shove, then some guys pulls a knife. They arrested him – but that was my introduction to Dave’s band”: Alex Van Halen on the first time he and Eddie met David Lee Roth at a show that nearly ended in violence