Rogers rising to the occasion at United Center: The Don’t Forget Me Tour.
The electrifying energy, heartfelt lyrics, and magic Maggie Rogers brought to the Don’t Forget Me Tour created an unforgettable experience for music lovers.
Photo by Brianna Guntz.
Rogers rose from the floor slowly in the dark amphitheater as the beat from “Anywhere With You” drummed in and riled up the crowd. However, from my nosebleed seat I did a quick 360 to see that everyone remained seated except for those in the pit. I didn’t mind as I stood up applauding at Rogers adorned with a gleaming smile and a black flowy dress.
She continued to sing, performing her signature leaning, twisting, and possibly injury-inducing dance moves. She quickly transitioned through her popular songs from her album Don’t Forget Me: “Drunk,” “So Sick of Dreaming,” and “The Kill,” with an upbeat, energized vibe throughout the audience. Witnessing her hit the high notes in “Drunk” was a stand-out moment. It was the perfect example of when you listen to an artist’s music on Spotify and its perfection…then you hear it live, and it somehow gets better. Next, she began to sing “So Sick of Dreaming,” strumming her guitar to the track’s upbeat, airy, summer's day feeling. And as any Rogers fan knows, in the bridge of "I'm So Sick of Dreaming," she has a monologue, saying:
So he calls me up 15 minutes before the reservation
And says he's got Knicks tickets instead
I mean, I was at the restaurant, so
I took the steaks to go, I had two martinis at the bar
And went to meet my friends down the street, what a loser.
She then goes back to the original chorus while the audience waits in anticipation to sing the final part of the monologue: “and by the way the Knicks lost.” However, when she instead sang “he’s got Bulls tickets instead,” the crowd lost it. We all screamed “The Bulls lost!”
The energy in the stadium was still a little down until she played one of her top streamed songs of all time: “Love You for a Long Time.” Everyone was up, finally. It was immaculate, the beat in the back had the entire audience jumping and holding hands. Then, when it couldn’t have been more lively, she pulled out the kiss cam. The audience all laughed at the people refusing to kiss on the cam, awkward men refusing to kiss their girlfriends while all the girls started kissing one another. The crowd yelled and jeered as it panned to different couples and friends, creating a wholesome moment for all the concertgoers.
A special guest, Mavis Staples, was then brought on to perform a popular song “I’ll Take You There” by her band The Staple Singers. As the barely 5 foot, American gospel and soul singer slowly wobbled onto the stage, Rogers exclaimed how Staples was a long-time “legend” and her inspiration. The two sang a duet, making sure to include the audience, yelling the same four words “I’ll take you there.” Rogers created a gleaming environment with everyone in the stadium participating and enjoying the song.
Rogers then continued to sing her newly released song “In the Living Room,” her hazy single about “processing the pain of someone you love walking out of your life, while still wanting to hold onto the happy memories made with them.” Finally, she began to sing the two songs on her setlist that made the crowd fall silent. The acoustic piano was brought out as she played the first chord progressions of “I Still Do,” her heartbreaking anthem from Don’t Forget Me, which she followed up with “All the Same.” Not a single sound was heard from the audience, besides the gasps for air from those shedding tears. Everyone stood in silence, holding their loved ones as she sorrowfully yet patiently sang these two acoustic songs. The only light in the stadium shone dimly on her and her piano. Smoke slowly released around her, making her look unreal–almost heavenly. The passion with which she performed the music had everyone in awe.
To finally finish up her exquisite concert, she played her title track, “Don’t Forget Me.” Rogers strummed her guitar, dancing around the stage as the audience clapped and yelled along to the rhythm. She repeated the bridge and yelled “One more time Chicago!” as we all obeyed her commands more than happily.
The thirty-year-old artist knew how to bring energy into a stadium. Though not all of her music was intense pop, Rogers still painted a lively, buzzing crowd with her own excitement and passion for her craft.
edited by Eva Smolen.
photo by Brianna Guntz.