WE WILL BE ALRIGHT IN THE AFTERLIFE
MAGGIE ROGERS
THE GREEK THEATER // BERKELEY, CA
After seeing Maggie for the first time a week ago in Portland, I had the privilege to see her again at The Greek in Berkeley. I use the word privilege understanding the weight that it carries. But it truly is a privilege to get to see this artist perform. I was lucky enough to have a close seat at the Portland show – the energy and experience I got from being up front was undeniable. Our seats at The Greek were further up – and I was worried the distance would affect my experience. However, The Greek show was even more emotional for me. To be able to look down, up, right, left and witness nearly 10,000 people singing in harmony with this lady; that was where the true magic was.
As soon as the lights came down and the shadows were cast on the curtain, you began to hear the “ooo’s” at the start of Color Song and you knew this was going to be something special. The crowds’ energy matched the acceleration of the shadows dancing across the curtain - by the end of the song the anticipation hit a high just in time for the curtain to drop and Maggie to appear. Those opening drum beats of Falling Water hit hard, welcoming my body to open up to this experience. My mind went back to the eagerness of getting to hear this song when it was first released– after just one listen the only words I could mustard up were a prolonged sigh of “fuuuuuck”. As I stood there tonight taking it all in, I could only imagine that Maggie was doing the same. As Maggie let her hair down and held the mic out for the crowd to join her in singing “I’m like falling water” I’m moved to tears. The thought of her transforming from small grungy venues to this mass of people singing in a near deafening harmony in just a few short years was enough to make me start crying. In that moment, it was so clear to me that this girl was meant to do this - there is absolutely no denying that fact. As true as the sun rising in the morning, Maggie was born to perform and share her music with the masses. I have never before witnessed someone doing exactly what they’re supposed to be doing. It was a damn privilege to be in the presence of such sense.
Burning allowed us to dance the way you can only dance to a Maggies Rogers song. Past Life gave us a new interpretation of an already beautifully simple song. And a stripped down version of Alaska allowed us to remember that big things come from the quiet thoughts inside of us. Standing on those concrete bleachers I was flooded with feelings of gratitude and happiness – the innate sensation that in these moments I was right where I belonged. This feeling is rare and ever fleeting, but for those 90 minutes as Maggie floated across that stage and serenaded us with words about friendship, love, and the confusion of this ever-changing life – she gave me, and all of us, the permission to be ourselves. To let go of the world around us and be present. The thing that is so special about Maggie is that she doesn’t just tell us what she’s feeling, she has the gift of making us feel those feelings.
Maggie let out a squeal during Back In My Body while the crowd swayed the flashlights on their phones back and forth to the beat. Swaying in between the midst of glistening lights in the amphitheater and the rotating light streams from the back of the stage, she seemed to be in such awe of what was going on in front of her. I don’t want to speak for everyone there, but Maggie – we’re the ones that are in awe, and if you keep reaching out you better believe we’ll keep coming back.