Before Maggie Rogers took the stage at the Shrine Auditorium on March 1, she told her band members to brace themselves for Los Angeles’ notoriously “stiff” crowds. But the second the singer stepped onto the stage in her bedazzled holographic knee-high boots, it was clear that the night would be anything but boring.
Del Water Gap, the show’s opening act, warmed up the audience for an evening of exhilarating entertainment with his contagious energy and enlivening setlist. During his entire 40-minute act, Del Water Gap did not stand still, jumping around the stage while strumming his yellow and neon pink electric guitar and still not missing a beat. By the time he played “Perfume,” Del Water Gap had the crowd on their feet dancing along with him. Once the opening notes of his most popular hit “Ode to a Conversation Stuck In My Throat” blasted over the Shrine speakers, members of the audience began shouting every lyric back to him.
The indie rock artist’s well-known tracks and new song from his upcoming album, paired with his ability to successfully demand and sustain the audience’s attention, seem to serve as a promising combination in furthering the singer’s musical career and name recognition. By the end of his act, it would not be surprising if Del Water Gap’s energetic performance and musical talent, reflecting a blend of Shawn Mendes and Joshua Bassett, garnered a host of new listeners.
After a short break just long enough for audience members to catch their breath, images of Rogers accompanied by a monologue about resistance, anger, hope and change — themes Rogers intertwined throughout her entire performance — flickered to life on the auditorium’s projector, marking a bold beginning to an even bolder show.
Beginning with “Overdrive” from her most recent album “Surrender,” Rogers captured the audience’s attention with stunning high notes and intense vocals, maintaining her impressive range throughout the entire set. The artist kickstarted the crowd’s enthusiasm with “Want Want,” a drum-heavy rock track. From the moment she lifted her mic, Rogers poured her whole body and soul into her performance, strutting across all areas of the stage to captivate the entire audience.
But the show didn’t only consist of dancing, and it was far from one-dimensional. Rogers created emotional connections with everyone in the auditorium, from those in the upper balconies and pit to those she shared the stage with. During “Be Cool,” Rogers sang to each member of her band individually, bringing an element of humor to the set while spotlighting each member and her unique relationships with them.
Rogers later played “I’ve Got a Friend,” an acoustic track dedicated to her best friend. While the artist asked her fans to give her friend space and “let us have our moment,” Rogers allowed the crowd to witness this intimate moment between two lifelong friends, and her ability to communicate treasured memories through her raw yet soothing lyricism translated into a touching moment for the entire audience.
The singer had multiple friends by her side: For her performance of “New Song” featuring Del Water Gap, she brought the opening act back on stage for a somber ballad that the two wrote together when they were 18. The pair’s genuine connection, complementing vocals and flawless harmonies lent themselves to another moving celebration of friendship.
However, the relationships that Rogers explored weren’t purely platonic. Before playing her fresh and lighthearted single “Love You For A Long Time,” the singer gave a shout out to all of her fans, single and in love alike, hoping that someone would find love during her show. The song clearly impacted the crowd: couples held each other close and danced along, echoing the artist’s lyrics to their partners.
Not one to alienate the single fans in her audience, Rogers next sang “Shatter,” a track expressing the painful and persistent feeling of longing. The crowd’s response to the blaring hit visibly shook the entire balcony, causing the Shrine to feel as if it might shatter. Building on the audience’s excitement, the singer’s performance of her highest streamed hit “Light On” demonstrated a fresh and uplifting take on the praised alternative track.
Even once Rogers exited the stage, the audience did not budge, eager for an encore. The artist’s return for a final two-track performance of “Fallingwater” and “Different Kind of World,” complemented by a speech highlighting the “scary” state of the world that Rogers hopes can be mended through acts of creation, seamlessly aligned with the show’s opening monologue. The performer’s choice of touring partners, Planned Parenthood and HeadCount, whose representatives engaged with attendees at the door, demonstrated that Rogers herself is willing to initiate the first steps in a better direction. The artist’s use of her clearly captivated crowd’s attention to help reinforce the importance of positive change was present from the moment fans entered the venue, and was nothing short of admirable.
Rogers’ clear vocal and lyrical flair, in combination with her energetic audience engagement and optimistic spirit, led to the creation of a concert atmosphere where all were embraced, lending Rogers’ show a perfect fit to its “Feral Joy Tour” name. In the direct words of an audience member, Maggie Rogers “has gotten better and better, and she’s not done.”