'Girls Night Out' brings positive message to AVA

The Colbie Caillat/Christina Perri “The Girls Night Out, Boys Can Come Too Tour” pulls into the AVA at Casino del Sol on Tuesday sans its third wheel, pop singer Rachel Platten.

That’s because Platten is taking time off from the trek to promote her fast-rising, hit single “Fight Song.”

We get to see Platten on Sept. 13 when she joins the Oro Valley Music Festival lineup that features Matt Nathanson and American Authors.

Meanwhile, we caught up with Perri and Caillat last week to chat about the show and being on the road together. The pair also are riding high on recent hit singles — Perri’s “Human” and Caillat’s “Try.”

How’s the tour been going?

Caillat: “It’s going great. It’s flying by, actually. We’re already more than halfway done with it. Me and Christina and Rachel have been having such a fun time together. Our bands and crews, we all get along real well. It’s been fun.”

Perri: “It is by far my favorite tour that I’ve ever been on. This is tour No. 17 for me and it’s my favorite one for so many reasons but mostly because of the band and crew that I have. … It’s the best we’ve ever played together. Our favorite sets. Our favorite stage. On top of that, Colbie and her camp are so great. And Rachel and her camp are so great. The most positive tour I’ve been on yet.”

You seem like you’ve become good friends on this tour.

Perri: “Here’s the thing: we don’t see each other as much as we’d like to just because we all have different schedules. But when we do see each other, it’s really great. And all of our performances combined, it’s doing exactly what I had hoped it would do. The three of us are closer and the show that we are putting on is as lovely as I had hoped it would be.”

Caillat: “To be able to get to hang out with (Perri). We realized we have so much in common. It cracks us up. We work so different and our music is so different, yet everything we do or represent (is so similar). Sometimes at meet-and-greets we will show up in the same exact outfit. Jewelry and everything and we never planned it. And we drive the same car just different colors. … She will be a lifelong friend.”

This tour seems to be inspiring for women, especially with what’s going on politically these days.

Perri: “I knew it was going to be fun, but I can see the people every night getting super inspired and that’s really important. … I am so proud of this show — the messages in our songs and stuff like that. Everybody is leaving the shows feeling really, really good and that’s what I had a feeling us three teaming up would do.”

Caillat: “When we were planning the tour, we felt like especially with the singles ‘Fight Song,’ ‘Human’ and with ‘Try,’ people are going to go home really feeling empowered and genuine.”

Alas, all good things must come to an end.

Perri: “It’s definitely sad. It’s just so bittersweet. I’ve been on tour for 5½ years so I am definitely ready to shut down and write new songs. But at the same time I’m having the most fun summer of my life. But to have it come to an end is definitely sad.”

Caillat: “I think the fact that everyone got along so well, all three camps — Christina, Rachel and my camp — every band member, every crew member and us artists we all have so much fun together. … It really feels like a summer camp and I think that’s what we’ll all take away from it.”

Have you learned any lessons from this tour?

Perri: “I feel like I’ve learned a ton. There’s a part of me that feels like I have wholeheartedly enjoyed a tour. Normally I am very anxious. I have stage fright pretty badly, but for some reason this tour — maybe because it’s the end of the album cycle and it feels like senior year to me — I’ve just let go of so many worries. I’ve just decided that I’m going to have fun no matter what. ... I’m learning to relax and really enjoy it. It’s been 5½ years; it’s about time I learned to enjoy myself.”

Caillat: “My stage fright gets easier and easier every show. I’ve been doing it now for eight or nine years. I had to force myself to get up on stage in the beginning. I would do anything to cancel a show. Now I look forward to the shows because I think that I’m so involved in it. I was involved in every part of planning and design for and every aspect of the tour. It’s something I felt prepared for and excited to represent. And the audience has been great. But there’s still moments when I’m like nervous to talk to the audience or I don’t know what to say. Or maybe I’ve messed up a little and forgot a lyric.”