Maggie Rogers: Fulfilling Dreams at TD Garden

Graphic by Adelaide Russell

by maya sien

It is a magical experience to witness an artist in their element, doing what they love. Maggie Rogers’ recent concert in Boston’s most iconic stadium attests to her achievements as a singer-songwriter and celebrates the beautiful art she creates. Being Rogers’ first headline arena show, this was a truly monumental moment for the artist– obvious by the warm, connective feeling throughout the crowd. Rogers was thriving onstage, quite literally glowing. Her performance was a marvelous, intimate experience that I feel lucky to be a part of. 

The show set off with Rogers rising from below the stage adorned in a sparkling silver dress, shining throughout the stadium. From the minute she stepped foot on the stage it was her. She carried herself with such poise that you couldn’t help but be indisputably hooked. Her stage presence is certainly commanding. She was truly having fun, something that is so important, yet often neglected when it comes to performances of this caliber. If the artist is having fun, so can the audience. It creates a relaxed atmosphere of expression and creativity; the concert becomes less of a performance and more of an experience. Rogers's show was easy to follow due to its great pacing: the energy fluctuated in tandem with the crowd. Songs like “Drunk”  allowed the audiences to let loose with Rogers, having just as much fun as she was on stage. In contrast, her acoustic rendition of “Say It” created a somber, emotional experience between the artist and the audience– everything just felt so intimate. For being such a large arena it was still so personal, like we were all in a small, cozy room with Rogers. It was a one-of-a-kind experience considering the stage that Rogers occupied. This was clearly a monumental career moment for the singer. As she stood up on the TD Garden stage you could see Rogers’ best attempts to truly take it all in. At that moment, it looked as though she had achieved her dream. Witnessing someone reach those heights is truly remarkable. 

In a memorable chapter of her show, Rogers moved to the thrust of the stage with a piano for an acoustic set. This placement created a real conversation between her and the audience. She discussed her time in Cambridge and her seemingly lofty dreams of playing at TD Garden which were becoming a reality at that very moment. It was by far the most intimate moment of the show– she was raw with her audience. These few select songs she played on the piano were so powerful. She created such a strong connection with the audience that we hung on to her every word like it were scripture. As the segment came to a close, Rogers sang a gutwrenching cover of “Night Changes” by One Direction in honor of Liam Payne’s recent passing. This moment was a beautiful tribute to a devastating situation. Life is short– far too short, and Rogers exemplifies the value of life through this tribute and her performance as a whole.

As the show closed with powerful performances of “Light On” and “Don’t Forget Me”, Rogers solidified her capability as a performer. She left the audience with a feeling of warmth and love– love that she expresses through her beautiful art. This was one of the best concert experiences I've ever had. I have rarely been so connected to an artist and so immersed in song. Roger’s was meant for the stage, meant for music, and meant to create art.