Paramore and fans have a blast at wildly fun Little Caesars Arena show

It was a two-hour blast of pure joy as Paramore partied with a packed house at Little Caesars Arena on Wednesday, performing songs from throughout the band's nearly 20-year career and toasting the many twists and turns of their musical journey along the way.

Firecracker lead singer Hayley Williams is a lightning bolt of energy, enthusiasm and rock star physicality, and she danced, pranced and two-stepped across the stage, brightly beaming all the while. You simply couldn't take your eyes off her, and at times it seemed like she couldn't take her eyes off herself, either.

"Come on," she said, after hitting the splits just as a burst of pyro exploded in the air at the close of "Hard Times." "That was good, right? That was fun? We did it!"

They did it alright, again and again throughout the 22-song show, as the trio — Williams, drummer Zac Farro and guitarist Taylor York — was beefed all the way up to a seven-piece, lending it a full, muscular sound and giving Williams plenty to play with, and play off of.

Aside from being a dynamo lead performer, the 34-year-old singer was a gracious and courteous host, sharing stories about the band's history in Detroit over the years, including an early tour stop at the Shelter. She dedicated "Misery Business," a song she said the band first heard on the radio while in the Motor City, to Detroit community personality Papa Smurf.

Wednesday's concert was a part of the band's first arena tour in 10 years, and it came on the heels of "This is Why," the band's art-punk inflected sixth album, which was released earlier this year.

The album is the latest evolution in the band's sonic odyssey, which over the years has bridged the worlds of emo, pop-punk, rock and dance pop. Wednesday's show was loose and playful enough to include segues into Whitney Houston's "I Wanna Dance With Somebody" (during "Rose-Colored Boy") and Blondie's "Heart of Glass" (during "Hard Times"), and Williams came off like a cross between Gwen Stefani and Mick Jagger.

The new album's "You First" kicked off the evening, as Williams — sporting a blue sportcoat and blue shorts — performed high kicks and headbangs in equal measure.

She pogo'd in place during "That's What You Get," a favorite from the band's 2007 breakout album "Riot!," which was met with open arms from the crowd.

"Detroit, hi!" Williams exclaimed early on. "Why does it feel like we walked into a family reunion?" Later, an impromptu, unscientific survey of fans — Williams asked the crowd whether they were first-time Paramore concert attendees — indicated a large number were, in fact, newbies to the Paramore experience, or they just felt like cheering whenever they were prompted by Williams. It's hard to say which for sure.)

A third of the way into the evening, the band paused as a fan was tended to in the middle of the general admission floor area, and resumed once the sign was given that things were okay. It's a kinder, gentler world out there now for concertgoers, which reinforces the notion of community that Williams spoke about among the band and their fans.

The new album's "Big Man, Little Dignity" was airy and experimental, as it led into a two-song set where Williams, Farro and York performed "Liar" and "Crystal Clear" on a platform raised above the stage, silhouetted in front of a video backdrop.

"The Only Exception," the band's hit 2010 ballad, turned the arena into a mass of cell phone lights, and became the evening's signature prom moment. The band fretted about including the song in the tour's setlist, Williams said, but they couldn't bring themselves to leave it out. It was accentuated by a closing pyro shower, which served to hammer home the big, swirling, slow motion feel of it all.

Spirited renditions of "Ain't It Fun" and "Still Into You" came late in the show, while "This is Why" closed the evening on a high note, as a confetti rained out over the audience.

As several members of Paramore have come and gone (and, in some cases, come again) over the years, Williams has been the one constant. But the whole crazy circus seemed to make sense on Wednesday, and Williams waxed about what she said she hopes is a long future of the band at several different points.

It was an encouraging notion, especially since the band seems to currently be in a healthy place, both musically and spiritually. Which meant there was plenty to be grateful for on Wednesday, and hopefully even more to look forward to down the line.

agraham@detroitnews.com

Twitter: @grahamorama