Maggie Rogers shines at a sold out Union Transfer

Maggie Rogers | photo by Dylan Eddinger | dylaneddingerphoto.squarespace.com

Maggie Rogers looked like a star Thursday night, headlining a sold out show at Union Transfer. And I mean literally. Decked out in a stellar jumpsuit/cape combo, covered in stars, eyes, hands, and flowers, she rocked the stage with her songs backed by a full band. Rogers kicked off her North America tour in Philly, playing through the entirety of her repertoire since her debut EP Now That The Light Is Fading was released last year on Capitol Records, as well as a few new songs from her upcoming full-length album.

Caroline Rose kicked off the night with a set of ecstatic pop rock. Rose combines rockabilly guitar with numerous chirping synths to produce fun, high-energy bops that cover topics from boredom at parties to sexism in the media industry and teenage pregnancy. Her stage personality is infectious, and the band dressed for a workout (which is fitting, considering all the dancing they did). Rose’s set was infused with charm and style, and consisted of great music, mid-song hydration, important life lessons, tongue kissing (???), and, oh, Britney Spears’ “Toxic”. What more could you want?

Rogers’ band took the stage first, pounding out the familiar chime of “On +Off” in the dark. Enter: Maggie. Their stage setup is rounded, clearing a large space in the middle. It looks odd, until Maggie jumps on stage and you realize why. She explores the stage throughout her performance, breaking up songs with impressive dance moves, showing off her astounding voice and pure showmanship.

Rogers ran though all the songs in her debut EP, each of which feel like a hit single, and updated for performance with a full band. This may have altered the sound, but the addition of a full-time guitarist, bassist, and keyboardist help to expand her sound to turn glittery samples into powerful melodies. Among her setlist was her freshly released single “Fallingwater,” an anthemic ballad that takes advantage of her vocal range, as well as “Split Stones” and a cover of Macy Gray’s “I Try”. It all drew a fantastic response from the crowd, who by the end began chanting “Mag-gie!” as soon as she left the stage.

For an encore, she performed an a capella song titled “Color Song” with her two backup singers, then the band re-entered. “Did you really think we’d leave without doing ‘Alaska’?” she asked, entering into her hit single from 2016, that originally rose her to prominence when it went viral for making Pharell Williams cry. For a performer with a limited discography, she makes a few songs feel like entire experiences, drawing in devoted fans young and old.

Check out photos from last night’s sold out show below.