By Zach Goins
July 25, 2023
Photo: Alex Cason / CLTure
With summer concert season in full swing, another tour kicked off its North American leg in Charlotte as Maggie Rogers began her Summer of ‘23 tour Monday night.
The show marked a night of music both new and old for Rogers introducing three unreleased tracks, dipping deep into her catalog, and playing fan favorites alongside her own personal cherished selections.
Indie rock band Soccer Mommy started the evening right at 8 p.m. as fans filled Skyla Credit Union Amphitheatre. The eight-song set featured hits like “circle the drain” and “Your Dog,” but for the uninitiated, the biggest hit came as the band covered Sheryl Crow’s “Soak Up the Sun,” as the sun set on the Queen City.
After a brief 30-minute intermission, Rogers and her band hit the stage at 9:15 p.m., opening with “Anywhere With You” off her latest album, Surrender. Rogers quickly followed up with the single “Want Want,” picking up the tempo, but more importantly, allowing her to let it rip, belting the highest notes of the chorus and improvising impressive vocal runs.
With her debut album so heavily dependent on synths that may not translate as well to live performances, Rogers opted for a more full rock sound with her impressive five-piece band on tracks from Heard It In A Past Life.
After spending the last six weeks touring Europe, the first stop on the U.S. leg of Rogers’ Summer of ‘23 tour mixed up the setlist quite a bit from what fans heard across the pond. The biggest of these changes being the three unreleased songs.
Of the new tracks, Rogers called the acoustic ballad “Don’t Forget Me” one of her favorites she’s ever written. With the lyrics projected on screen behind her, the new songs were made more approachable allowing fans to fully appreciate the lyricism and even sing along if they could pick up the tune. “Don’t Forget Me” was a highlight of the show, and fans were gifted with a free download for the upcoming track while leaving the venue. Rogers’ other new songs were a breakup bop in “Sick of Dreaming” and an emotional ballad, “The Kill.”
It proved to be a blessing and a curse, however, as their additions meant Rogers removed some of her more beloved tracks from the setlist in order to make room. Hits like “Back In My Body” and “Fallingwater” from Rogers’ debut album were both cut after being featured in the encores during the European tour. Instead, Monday’s three-song encore featured “Dog Years” from Rogers’ debut EP, Now That The Light Is Fading, and two of the previously mentioned songs, which was somewhat anticlimactic for fans hoping to sing along to a grand finale.
Instead, Rogers mixed in her biggest hits like “Love You for a Long Time,” “Alaska” and “Light On,” as well as a brief cover of Whitney Houston’s “I Wanna Dance With Somebody” mashed up with “Retrograde.”
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With 10 more tour stops and a number of festivals in store throughout the rest of the summer, Rogers and her band are already functioning at a high level after night one in Charlotte. And as fans become more familiar with her new music, the Summer of ‘23 Tour will only continue to hit its stride.
Setlist:
“Anywhere With You”
“Want Want”
“Say It”
“Love You for a Long Time”
“Shatter”
“Sick of Dreaming”
“Overnight”
“The Knife”
“Begging for Rain”
“I’ve Got a Friend”
“Symphony”
“Alaska”
“Retrograde” / “I Wanna Dance With Somebody”
“Don’t Forget Me”
“Light On”
“That’s Where I Am”
Encore:
“The Kill”
“Dog Years”
“Different Kind of World”
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