By: Meghan Mahaffey

To kick off the Spring semester, Relish announced they would be raffling off two tickets to Maggie Rogers’ Feral Joy Tour. Needless to say, I was elated and set my heart on obtaining the tickets to the concert. I waited patiently for the results to be announced as I scrolled on Instagram daily to see Rogers’ eccentric tour outfits. By some stroke of luck, on February 13, I heard that I would be attending the concert at Radio City Music Hall in a mere two days. I immediately called my friend, Kaitlyn, and we eventually wrapped our heads around the fact that we would be seeing an icon from our high school years perform. Candidly, I don’t believe I thought of much else in the two days leading up to the concert.

Upon entering Radio City, I was surrounded by a wide variety of fans. Considering the release of Maggie Rogers’ first album, The Echo, dates back to 2012, she has acquired a generationally-diverse fan base. Across the generational divide, there was a mutual love and admiration for Rogers and her work. Kaitlyn and I nuzzled into our seats only after marveling at how close we would be to the performance (not to mention Sadie Sink was seated three rows behind us, despite the disbelief of other friends…). Del Water Gap took the stage as the opener, a terrific choice to precede her set. The two artists have impeccable chemistry, which was apparent when they performed “New Song” together. One of his most famous songs, “Ode to a Conversation Stuck in Your Throat,” had everyone on their feet and filled to the brim with excitement for the show they were about to be apart of. His indie-pop music meshed perfectly with Maggie Rogers’ set list, encapsulating the theme of “Feral Joy” that was central to the entire tour.

Radio City is a hard venue to play at, in my opinion, because it can feel very formal for a concert. For example, when I saw King Princess this past fall, Radio City didn’t feel like the appropriate venue for the setlist that evoked such intense energy. The rows of chairs create boundaries and, from past experiences, make it hard for the artist to fully engage their audiences. However, I did not have any qualms with the venue this time around. Maggie Rogers was an incredible performer and did more than just sing the songs everyone knew and loved; she fostered an environment with intentionality. Before she came out, Rogers played a recording of her saying, “When I’m angry or when I’m low, I feel it in my teeth– strange harmonic buzzing cuts through my jaw, my hands, my breast bone.” From the get-go, she let us in as an audience, revealing a major driver behind the creation of the album, Surrender. In the twelve songs, she touches on the most intense emotions that everyone has experienced, and I could feel each of them come to life in Radio City throughout the duration of the setlist.

While I have tirelessly contemplated my favorite performances as I reminisce in my camera roll, I landed on “Anywhere With You” and “A Different Kind of World” to talk about more in-depth. Since Surrender’s release in July 2022, “Anywhere With You” has brought me so much joy, serving as a soundtrack to my summer. Hearing this song live awakened a past self who turned the car volume to an alarming level every time it played. Down to the lights and bass in the walls, this performance was my definition of perfect. My favorite lyrics in the song are, “Would you talk me off the guard rail of my panic attack? Look me straight in my center and tell me from the heart, are you ready to start?” and hearing her sing them live was surreal. I could sing its praises all day, but, simply put, I was so entranced by this song that any other lingering thoughts were washed away.

Rogers’ performance of “A Different Kind of World” showed her commitment to bettering the world we call home. She introduced the final song with a speech that brought tears to my eyes. She says, “The world is so scary. I have absolutely no idea how to process it anymore, but what I know is that being able to stand with a group of people and maybe even forget where you are for a couple seconds—this matters more than anything.” The sentiments of the song point to the terrifying aspects of our world, while also instilling a sense of hope that we all so desperately need. As I enter my adulthood and become aware of the chaos around me, I am scared. However, it’s nights like the Maggie Rogers concert that soothe my anxiety, and I feel the human unity I crave.