Maggie Rogers Captivates in Charlotte

Summer of 2023 Tour Stops at Skyla Credit Union Ampitheatre

As we approach the end of July here in Charlotte, deep into the summer concert season, there’s really no better way to celebrate the sweltering weather than by taking in another fantastic show. This one in particular was singer-songwriter Maggie Rogers as she hit up Skyla Credit Union Ampitheatre on her Summer of 2023 Tour, bringing a magical evening of music to Charlotte area fans. 

Fun Fact: Maggie’s song “Alaska” was discovered by Pharrell Williams during a master class at NYU in 2016 as the musician was moved to tears by the song.

The Fans

It was crystal clear from the moment I walked up to the venue’s entrance that Maggie’s fans are deeply enamored with the singer-songwriter and her music. Despite the heat, there was a line of fans eagerly waiting to come inside and jockey for the best position at the barricade or back on the lawn. The crowd ranged from thousands of young women and men to older couples into their seventies as Maggie’s music is simply classic, ageless, and boundless, that resonates with all listeners regardless of age, race, gender, or any other quantifier one could come up with. Throughout the evening, signs were held up both in front and on the lawn, professing their love for Rogers as fans expressed outpourings of joy and emotions as the music overtook them. Interestingly enough, I met one of Maggie’s biggest fans right up front in the photo pit. Louisa was a high school friend of Maggie and was up front photographing her very first concert. She was absolutely hopping with excitement, screaming “I love you Maggie” and totally getting into the music as she snapped away. I hope you got some beautiful shots, Louisa!

Fun Fact: Maggie was an intern at Elle Magazine during her senior year at NYU. 

The Production

The stage was simple yet stunningly beautiful. The drummer was off to the side stage left on a riser with a bass player next to him and a guitarist just below them. To the other side of the stage, we had a keyboard player on the riser with another guitarist directly below. In between the rear risers, was a staircase leading down to the front of the stage. A huge LED screen lit up with images of Rogers before the lights dimmed. Your focus was drawn to the center with the stage bathed in blue light as Rogers appeared as a silhouette. Performing the first song “Anywhere With You” from the top, spotlights shone on Maggie who looked stunningly gorgeous in a royal blue dress with a yellow scarf and knee-high black boots. During the performance, the screen would change images and colors amidst an ever-changing lighting scheme, complete with the requisite amount of stage fog. The production was the perfect accompaniment to Rogers’ performance, a true enhancement to the vibe of the evening, and never distracted us from the main reason we were there which was, of course, the music. 

Fun Fact: Maggie began playing the harp at the age of 7.

The Music

Maggie is touring with a full band of ultra-talented musicians who were perfectly at home on stage whether it was a high-energy number that had Rogers dancing and moving from one side of the stage to the next or more subdued with Maggie picking up an acoustic guitar for a song or two. The sound quality was top-notch and we could hear Maggie’s voice as clear as day. There’s nothing worse than going to a concert and not being able to hear the artist and happily for those in attendance this was definitely not an issue. Maggie’s set leaned heavily on her 2022 Surrender album with eight tracks. But, there were also several surprises during the course of the evening including a mashup of “Retrograde” and Whitney Houston’s “I Wanna Dance with Somebody” as well as four unreleased songs. What a treat to hear those new tracks!

Maggie

What can I say about Maggie Rogers herself? She was exquisite in every way. Her vocals were spot-on, powerful when needed, and poignant when the mood called for it. She moved effortlessly about the stage, not walking, almost gliding from one spot to another, never missing a step or a note in the process. The singer put on a performance for the ages in Charlotte and it was a night that fans would never forget. 

Fun Fact: Maggie attended St. Andrews boarding school, the same school where the movie Dead Poet’s Society was filmed. 

The Opener

Opening the show was Nashville-based singer-songwriter Sophia Regina Allison, better known by her stage name Soccer Mommy. Not knowing quite what to expect, Soccer Mommy pulled me in from the very beginning of the set with solid songs and a great stage presence even including a very well-done version of Sheryl Crow’s “Soak Up the Sun.”

The Summer of 2023 Tour runs through the end of summer and includes some major festival dates including Newport Folk Festival and All Things Go Festival so you still have plenty of chances to catch this amazing performer live in action.

See the Full Gallery of the Evening Here!

If you happened to capture any shots of the night, feel free to tag us on social media at Shutter 16 Magazine and throw in #Shutter16 and #TwitFromThePit for the world to see. 

Click Here for Tickets and Tour Information!

Tour

JUL 27, 2023

Forest Hills Stadium

Forest Hills, NY

with special guest Soccer Mommy

JUL 28, 2023

Newport Folk Festival

Newport, RI

JUL 29, 2023

Mann Center for the Performing Arts

Philadelphia, PA

with special guest Soccer Mommy

JUL 31, 2023

Thompson’s Point

Portland, ME

with special guest Soccer Mommy

AUG 1, 2023

Thompson’s Point

Portland, ME

with special guest Soccer Mommy

AUG 3, 2023

Budweiser Stage

Toronto, ON

with special guest Soccer Mommy

AUG 5, 2023

Lollapalooza

Chicago, IL

AUG 6, 2023

Hinterland Music Festival

Saint Charles, IA

AUG 8, 2023

Belly Up Aspen

Aspen, CO

AUG 9, 2023

Red Rocks Amphitheatre

Morrison, CO

with special guest Alvvays

AUG 10, 2023

UCCU Center

Orem, UT

with special guest Alvvays

AUG 12, 2023

Outside Lands

San Francisco, CA

AUG 13, 2023

Hollywood Bowl

Los Angeles, CA

with special guest Alvvays

AUG 16, 2023

WAMU Theater

Seattle, WA

with special guest Alvvays

AUG 17, 2023

McMenamins Edgefield

Troutdale, OR

with special guest Alvvays

AUG 18, 2023

McMenamins Edgefield

Troutdale, OR

with special guest Alvvays

SEP 23, 2023

Sing Out Loud

St. Augustine, FL

SEP 29, 2023

The Atlantis

Washington, DC

SEP 30, 2023

All Things Go

Washington, DC

OCT 6, 2023

Austin City Limits Music Festival

Austin, TX

OCT 13, 2023

Austin City Limits Music Festival

Austin, TX