Following the release of his sophomore studio album, Ultrapure, Briston Maroney is celebrating with a world tour. Sharing his original music that finds a way to fit the descriptions of indie, folk and rock. With the stage adorned with a whimsical selection of creatures, the energy of the crowd flowed like the holographic waves of Briston’s backdrop .
When Phoebe Go took the stage to open the night, the crowd came alive to welcome the Australian singer to her third-to-last show on the tour. Those who haven’t heard of her should not be too surprised, as she’s only started releasing music since 2022. For those who have not listened to her music, I would definitely recommend giving her a try, as her sound is reminiscent of the likes of Samia, Phoebe Bridgers, and Briston himself. Phoebe’s stage presence truly blew me away and I cannot wait for her next tour to come around, as it definitely will be a must see. After finishing up her set, the buzz of the crowd only grew as time passed, eagerly waiting for Briston Maroney to finally take the stage.
When the lights finally dimmed, the crowd erupted with excitement to see what song would open the concert. As the first chords rang out, the energy was easily matched with “Body” from his newest album, Ultrapure. The lights came up and revealed Briston, brimming with energy with his sunflower-tattooed hand and curly, pink-and-blue, Harley Quinn-esque hair. The crowd instantly joined in, singing along with the lyrics, “Someday, my body will be just a body.” Maroney’s music clearly resonates with his audience, sporting the themes of finding yourself, relationships, and the experiences from simply living life, both good and bad. A special thing that Briston does is changing and morphing the music, causing certain segments of the setlist to be completely unique to that night. He also toys with the segues between songs, the introductions seemingly teasing one song only to change the chords completely, keeping you guessing until they finally fall into place. My favorite example of him changing his music in concert was in “Fool’s Gold”, where his guitar solo takes on a whole new sound, bringing as much emotion and energy to the song as the lyrics do. Even as he was jumping around on stage, doing everything from sliding on his back to suddenly playing the drums, his connection with the crowd never faded. At one point, he began talking about how he missed the smell of Newport Music Hall. I’m not too sure what it smells like, but I did have someone say “toasted marshmallows”, which may or may not be true. Briston took time to remind those in the audience to take care of themselves, at one point stopping mid-song as someone had passed out. He made sure that everyone remained safe and hydrated, creating a peaceful and caring environment despite the high energy of the show. As the songs flowed through the night, the broad range of emotions that his music covers is apparent, with tears easily being shed from songs such as “Rose” and “Sink;Swim,” followed by head banging along with “Freakin’ Out on the Interstate” or “Spring.” Maroney created an unforgettable concert experience unlike any other I have ever attended. When his set finally ended, the crowd was still desperate for more, which Maroney obliged with a one-song
encore of “Delaware” to officially close the night. Ending on a song that is so soft and full of emotion is the perfect way to say goodbye to such an adoring and active crowd.
As I left the show, my ears were still ringing from the speakers and I was still able to hear all of the different lyrics and mesmerizing chords from over the course of the night. Although it may be too late to attend his tour now, you should absolutely listen to his music, new and old, and look forward to attending his next tour, whenever that may be!