NOTE: All photos are copyright of Howard Shiau Photography 2025
Indie rocker Briston Maroney is just twenty-six but it feels like he’s been around forever. Maybe it’s because he’s been touring non-stop. Besides the pandemic year of 2020 (which disappeared for everyone), he’s been prolific in putting out new music year after year. His latest, “Ultrapure”, released in September of 2023, was well received and felt like a very personal look into his life. He’s pretty much right in the middle of his world tour supporting “Ultrapure” when he stopped at the sold-out Phoenix Concert Theatre on February 6th.
Die-hard fans started lining up outside the venue mid-afternoon the freezing cold. Perhaps it’s my age showing but I can’t understand how people can wait for hours in the cold wearing nothing but a shirt just to avoid having to check a coat. I was wearing a puffer jacket and still freezing!! Around thirty VIP meet and greet ticket holders entered around 6pm as the ever growing GA ticket holder got longer and longer. At 7pm, the remaining eager fans finally entered the venue. A first look at the crowd showed about an 80/20 female to male ratio with many underage. Maroney’s music and looks sure can draw a crowd!
Opening for Maroney was Australian singer/songwriter Phoebe Go (aka Phoebe Lou). Armed with just her acoustic guitar and mournful voice, she played a short set, not surprising since she has one EP, “Player”, as a solo artist. Her latest single “7 Up”, released just last week, with its heartbreaking topic is even more impactful with Go just on her acoustic. Achingly beautiful. She’s definitely someone to keep an eye on.
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Briston Maroney was very unassuming as he entered the stage; no big rock star entrance, just a dude. Of course, he is a dude with long curly hair and just the left side of his hair byed blue! Outside of his looks, the band’s impact was immediate, opening with “Body” off Maroney’s latest record.
“Someday, my body will just be a body. And a big white light before me lets me know these days will end. But I got today and the only plan I’ve made is to love like I might never get to love someonе again”. Wonderful. As with many shows that attract a young audience, the show became a bit of a sing-along, but not overwhelming so (which I appreciated)….except for the one person in the back that was screaming the lyrics like they were at a karaoke bar. Maroney played almost all of “Ultrapure” as well as a few older tracks, a few of which got the loudest reactions from the crowd (ie. “Freakin’ Out on the Interstate” and “June”). In between songs, he sometimes played a quiet guitar solo and the crowd was amazingly quiet and patient, eagerly waiting for the first strains of a song that they would recognize.
At one point, Maroney came off the stage and handed his guitar to his fans. I’m not sure if he was just giving his fans a treat or if he was hoping it would reach the hands of a guitar aficionado who would start jamming along. If it was the second, I’m afraid he was disappointed. The fans in the front middle were ecstatic, with the biggest smiles frozen on their faces!
The joy and love I saw and felt in the audience if what I hope to see at every show and I look forward to Briston Maroney blessing a stage near me again soon!
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