Review and Photos – Briston Maroney at The Commodore Ballroom, Vancouver, Mar 20, 2024
When you go out to a concert in the middle of the work week, you likely want to be distracted from whatever else is going on in your life. It should be an evening of escape, where the music and energy can remove you from all your worries for just a brief moment, and you can fully enjoy the experience.
Last Wednesday at The Commodore Ballroom, Briston Maroney provided that exact experience. The crowd was buzzing with energy and excitement from start to finish. It was rejuvenating to be in a space with a crowd that was completely stoked to be there.
Maroney also seemed thrilled to be performing for the Vancouver audience on what was the second-to-last show of his tour. He took several moments throughout the night to thank everyone for coming and bringing so much energy to the show.
With long curly hair, a shimmering backdrop, and a groovy outfit, Maroney and his band brought a seventies feel to the stage, while presenting a very modern indie rock show. In fact, his sound most reminds one of 2011-era radio indie—think Neon Trees, or Alt J—especially with songs like “Chaos Party,” or “Sunshine”.
The highlight of the show was Maroney himself,who managed to sound incredibly similar to his recordings while singing live. Maroney’s voice is distinct and has a slight graininess to it, that sounds like it could have been added on in production—it wasn’t. Maroney is blessed with a very special talent, and has found a sound that suits his particular voice very well. In addition to the indie-rock stylings, he also injects elements of country in some of his songs, which also suited his and his band’s unique talents.
While Maroney kept the energy up during the songs, and had the crowd on his side, he chose to include interludes between songs at times rather than transitioning straight to the next track. Some of these interludes were more successful than others. At times, he seemed to lose the crowd for a minute or so between songs. Sometimes the interludes were just instrumental, or included him singing into the mic with massive reverb added. This did make the show feel long and heavy at times, although the band always managed to get things back on track when the next song started.
This show delivered in spades. The sounds, visuals, and charisma that Maroney brought to the Commodore was a welcome reprieve for a Wednesday night, just the escape the crowd was looking for.
More Briston Maroney at The Commodore Ballroom photos:
Contributors
Hannah Madden-Krasnick
Hannah is a writer and software developer based in Vancouver, BC. You can find her at a cafe, knitting a friend a sweater, and around town training for her next triathlon—except on Wednesdays, when she'll be dutifully watching Survivor. If you see her on her phone in public, she's probably reading a book, as she considers for the dozenth time if she should buy a Kobo. The next time you see her at a concert, let her know your thoughts on eReaders, and she'll show her gratitude by sharing her glitter with you.
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