Live Review: Maggie Rogers - O2 Academy Bristol

MAGGIE ROGERS

O2 ACADEMY
BRISTOL
07/11/2022

Words and Photography by Philip Giouras
Edited by Dani Willgress Photography

★★★★★

Fully charged, Maggie Rogers brings her stadium-ready sound to Bristol's intimate Academy as she stakes her claim as a future headliner.

Screams fill the air as Rogers makes her way onto the stage, launching straight into an opening salvo of ‘Overdrive’ and ‘Want, Want’. The heavily charged anthems from her recent critically acclaimed record ‘Surrender’ perfectly set the scene for the evening. From the off she cuts a jubilant figure, commanding the stage, especially on the latter as she frequently takes the opportunity to rock out with her talented band. It’s a full stage with a drummer, synths player, percussionist and two vibrant guitarists who frequently seize their chance to break out into jazz-style funky riffs.

Rogers has such a diverse collection of work, unrestrained by genre. She has an effortless ability to fluidly transition between the communal acoustic nature of ‘Love You For A Long Time’ to the nineties power pop of ‘Be Cool’ and the all-consuming ‘Shatter’ which sees Rogers engulfed by synths and the frenetic energy she’s whipping up on stage. Like an ancient ritual, her body wildly contorts as she bounces across the stage throughout the wild highlight.

Rogers frequently demands the same from her besotted crowd. “I know it’s Monday, but I’ve not seen you smile” teases Rogers at an attendee on the front row, their arms firmly crossed perhaps stunned she’s taken the time to halt the show to address them. It’s a playful moment and certainly said tongue in cheek considering the wild response she’s been receiving. You get the impression however that Rogers wants her crowd to give everything, she can sense it can go up another notch and she’s not going to be satisfied until everybody in the room is fixated on the moment she’s carefully curating.

She was unsurprisingly correct, she has the crowd in the palm of her and they're obliging at her every whim; whether it is the thunderous echo made by the sound of a thousand hands clapping in unison to every beat, their voices harmonious in each chorus or at the evening's conclusion footsteps shaking the academy at its core in demand for her return.

It’s a gracious crowd, one who knows they’re lucky to witness the American superstar in such modest surroundings. Later this week she will headline London’s 11,000-capacity Alexandra Palace, tonight Bristol’s Academy is just a tenth of that. But make no mistake, she possesses the ability to make the room feel ten times the size with songs that could fill a stadium with a stage presence to match.

Rogers' confidence is matched by an incredible second act that feels like the greatest hits. Breakout hit ‘Alaska’ is a beautiful display of her remarkable vocal range, featuring the trademark soft falsetto refrain that cut a chord with listeners almost a decade ago now. The pairing of ‘Begging for Rain’ and ‘Horses’ are wonderfully rooted in Americana with Rogers channelling her inner Emmylou Harris.

‘Light On’ of course receives a rapturous reception, Rogers' band leading the masses with booming claps that pulsate across the venue, but surprisingly it’s ‘That’s Where I Am’ that now rightfully feels like Rogers' blockbuster finale moment. She swaggers across the stage, microphone aloft as the chorus is bounced back and forth between her and the full-capacity crowd. Performed live, the track is also extended for a grand display of her band's crafts and a chance for both Rogers and the audience to let loose in the hysteria of the moment.

It’s pretty incredible that only two albums into her career Rogers feels like a natural headliner with such a rich, diverse and strong discography to match. Earlier on in the show, a crowd member shouts “don’t forget Falling Water” in perhaps one of the most peculiar ways to request a song. Returning to the stage for a well-deserved encore, Rogers remarks “Did someone say Falling Water” with a smile as she graciously delivered one final moment of communal bliss.

Setlist:

Overdrive

Want Want

Say It

Honey

Love You for a Long Time

Be Cool

Shatter

Dog Years

Symphony

I’ve Got a Friend

Back in My Body

Alaska

Begging for Rain

Horses

Anywhere With You

Light On

That's Where I Am

Encore:

Fallingwater

Different Kind of World