Olivia Rodrigo surprised revelers at a small Brooklyn venue with an appearance at an open-mic event on Sunday, April 26.
The singer and guitarist showed up at Pete’s Candy Store in Williamsburg, where she performed her new single “Drop Dead,” accompanied by a guitarist playing acoustic.
The venue is best known for presenting local and emerging artists, such as Industry Monk, a Brooklyn-based indie artist and singer-songwriter who performed before Rodrigo took the stage. Industry Monk posted about the unusual circumstances of the evening on Instagram, sharing a clip of himself performing as well as footage of Rodrigo following him.
“Was a pleasure to accidentally open up for @oliviarodrigo @petescandystore today,” he wrote.
This isn’t the first time Rodrigo has made an under-the-radar appearance. A few days before showing up at Pete’s, the singer played an invitation-only show at the Echo in Los Angeles, where she debuted some of the new material from her forthcoming third album, You Seem Pretty Sad for a Girl So in Love, out June 12 via Geffen Records.
“Drop Dead” had its premiere earlier this month during a surprise appearance at Addison Rae’s Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival set. Astute fans will note that the song makes a nod to the Cure with a reference to their hit “Just Like Heaven.”
Rodrigo previously shared the stage with Cure frontman Robert Smith for live performances of “Friday I’m in Love” and “Just Like Heaven” during her set at the Glastonbury Festival in the U.K. on June 29, 2025. Smith appeared as a special guest, and the pair subsequently formed a friendship following the performance.
The 23-year-old Rodrigo has emerged as an ally for guitarists in recent months, championing the return of guitar solos to pop music, crediting the influence of Melissa Auf Der Mar and touting the advantages of St. Vincent’s signature Ernie Ball electric guitar.
