Briston Maroney Brings “Jimmy” to Sterling Heights
Show Review ★ Kenzie Gay ★ @kenzwrites ★ 800 Words
If you’ve been subscribed to this magazine for at least a little while, then the name Briston Maroney should be nothing new. We’ve covered the budding indie rock artist for several releases including his most recent album, Jimmy, which you can read here. After all of this support from the sidelines, we finally got a chance to cover Maroney in a live setting and boy, was it magical.
Briston Maroney via Nolan Knight (left)
The evening of May 25th, a Sunday, was the perfect recipe for a great Spring day in Sterling Heights, a suburb of Detroit. Warm but not too warm, light traffic considering Memorial Day was in arm’s reach, and, of course, the energy of Michigan Lotter Amphitheatre as eager fans awaited Briston and fellow indie rock artist Peach Pit’s Sterling Heights debut.
Upon entering the amphitheatre while a vaguely familiar Midwest Emo song blasted from the house music playlist, the show’s crowd was something I clocked immediately. As someone who frequents rock n roll shows with more conservative, older crowds, it was very refreshing and comfortable to see such a young and accepting audience composed of mostly LGBTQ+ individuals. I felt much safer than I usually would, which was a great thing considering my chronic anxiety that was already rather spiked due to the day of travel and new navigation I’d had leading up to the show. Aside from their welcoming presence, the fans also came dressed to impress. From boho attire plucked straight from the fields of Woodstock ‘69 to hand made merchandise for either headliner, I didn’t see a single person who didn’t shamelessly wear their dedication and personality for the world to see (their sick tattoos and piercings were a huge plus, too).
Just after 7:00, Briston and his backing band members graced the stage in a fit of fog and red-hued lighting. Real Good Swimmer, a song from his new album, kicked off the set like a bat out of Hell. Wide eyed, loud, and extra antsy (some in part due to the Mucinex DM that Maroney evidently took pre-show for allergies, unknowing of its side effects), Briston settled himself as a force from the first played chord. He carried fans through an impressive setlist possessing older hits such as Small Talk and Under My Skin along with new songs like Tomatoes and DNA, never once showcasing a hint of nonchalance.
I can’t write enough about Briston’s showmanship, his band mates’ chemistry, the stage layout, or the impact of the music itself but there were two instances that really stuck out and made the show so much more than a routine concert.
low quality photos from Sunday’s show
The first moment was during Land of Light, another new song from Jimmy. For this part of Sunday’s performance, Maroney and his band mates shifted the previous energy of bold and manic to soft and warming by setting the scene of a campfire. Thanks to lighting, recorded trackings of noises such as a crackling fire and cicadas, and a cooler full of pop that he tossed to a few lucky fans in the pit, the vision came to life. Peach Pit’s touring member, Dougal Mclean, also joined the stage with his violin for this part of the show. This additional touch gave the performance a special intimacy that hadn’t yet made an appearance beforehand and it truly felt like all of us were really circled around the fire and shooting the shit with one another, a truly unforgettable experience.
The second highlight of the show was during Be Yourself but more specifically, the lead-up to it. Briston took a moment to have a heart to heart with the audience. It was brief but monumental enough to stick with me and surely others. He explained that where he grew up in/around Knoxville, he didn’t always feel like he could be his authentic self because of judgement and harmful, traditional views. That was the driving inspiration behind the song’s lyricism and he made a point to say that he hoped it would resonate with people who have dealt with or are currently dealing with similar conflicts. I can’t speak for everyone, clearly, but I can say that it certainly touched me even more than it did upon its initial release at the month’s start.
As I approach my 21st birthday, it’s really outstanding to look back on not only my own growth but those I’ve surrounded myself with whether it be friends or the artists I’ve looked up to over the years. Briston is one of those treasured musicians that I’ve had the honor of being a fan of since before his official debut and it’s inspiring to see how much his sound and art has blossomed. If you have the opportunity to attend a show, please do yourself a favor and buy the tickets. You're destined to have a great time surrounded by love, light, and a little rowdiness if you do so and it will be anything but a disappointment.
