Photos by Jeslyn Wang
A song online is curated to sound its best. Every step from the recording, to the editing, to how the headphone company handles frequencies is made to amplify the listening experience. It’s extremely hard to match the online sound quality in person, and even harder to add another layer to it. However, that is exactly what Briston Maroney did at the Fonda on the 15th of March.
Before the concert even started, I was taken aback by how the stage had been transformed. A 12-foot high, googly-eyed jellyfish that looked decidedly upset, a pair of plastic-decorated eyes that somehow conveyed surprise, and huge balloon stars everywhere. The Fonda was now Maroney’s edible-induced interpretation of “The Meg” (later verified by the singer himself). However, before he could take to the stage and explain his thought process to us, we were first introduced to “Snarls,” an indie rock band hailing from Columbus, Ohio.
Describing themselves as “Ohio Lover Girl Rock,” the Snarls effortlessly combined dream pop with indie rock. Starting off with “Fixed Gear,” lead singer Chlo White crooned out emotional lyrics, harmonising with bassist Riley Hall to create depth in the simple melody. With the Martinez siblings, Mick and Max, on the guitar and drums respectively, it made sense that the band knew each other’s moves before they were even made.
And then, as quickly as they had appeared, The Snarls made a short and sweet exit – yelling a quick “Fuck yeah! Thank you guys!” – before disappearing off the stage.
Before this concert, I would have labelled Briston Maroney as happy, light indie music – perhaps with the exception of “Steve’s First Bruise”. However, over the span of an hour and a half, I was formally introduced to the “rock” side of his indie-rock label. From the darkening of the lights, and the ominous recording that preceded his entrance, the mood in the Fonda shifted. The stage that had once resembled a childhood playground now seemed straight out of a horror film – eyes watching you from everywhere and plastic flapping in directionless wind. The slightly spooky ambience only added to the crowd’s anticipation…and Maroney took full advantage of it. Before each song, he would personally mix samples on his track board effortlessly switching the mood with a click of a button.
Kicking it off with “Body” from his newest album “Ultrapure,” Maroney’s indie rasp brought a stereo aspect to an overall charming song. Throughout the concert, he cleverly navigated the line between indie and rock, combining hallmarks of indie music, with soaring guitar solos from Devin Badgett.
Badgett deserves special recognition for his remarkable performance. Spotted drinking tea at the beginning of the night, one would have assumed he was under the weather. However, over the next hour and a half, he displayed a stamina I have yet to see outside of a punk rock concert. From mid-air splits, to gymnastics around the drumset and even giving his guitar CPR at one point, Badgett reminded audiences that although they might be having fun – no one enjoys performances as much as the performers.
His infectious energy was picked up and carried by the rest of the band. Smiling ear to ear, they carried out the rest of their set with boyish fun – swapping instruments (who knew Maroney was a drummer?!) and improvising around classic songs such as “Fools Gold” and “Under My Skin”. Drummist, Nathan Knox, was a true team player – showcasing his skills on the drums and the keyboard, while bassist Zack Lockwood shared his every feeling through the bass strings.
Coming back for his encore, I wondered how Maroney would put an end to a journey of a concert – he had introduced us to three different genres, taken us on a rollercoaster of emotions and successfully played every instrument on the stage. However, keeping in line with the past hour and a half – Maroney surpassed expectations, bringing out Joshua Harmon from The Backseat Lovers as a special guest. With just an acoustic guitar, Harmon and Maroney provided the perfect end to the concert, bringing us back to the core of Briston Maroney: feel-good, sing-along, pure indie music.
