James Kelly
When was the last time you won something? Maybe it was bingo, or fifteen bucks in a scratch-off. Either way, you’re probably like me and don’t win as often as you would like to, but when you do win, it’s something spectacular. My girlfriend forwarded an email to me from Maggie Rogers with information about a “private concert” being held at Mickey’s Black Box in Lititz, Pennsylvania. Seats are limited so to keep the numbers down (and to keep Ticketmaster from crashing) the tickets were given to people by random selection if they entered into the lottery drawing. I filled everything out on a Tuesday evening and waited patiently, or at least until I fell asleep. I went to work the next day, and the next, and completely forgot about it. Friday afternoon came around and I checked my inbox, usually brimming with nonsense, to see an email from Ticketmaster that read: “you’re in”. I’m in what? What did I- ohh.
Needless to say I quickly realized what that meant and I had to explain to my girlfriend that since she was indeed the one who sent me this information, she could not be the one to beat me senseless with her Birkenstock. She was in California at the time and couldn’t come with me, so I’d like to think that made us even. I made the drive up the night of the concert and blended in with the crowd at the Black Box, a venue that’s brand-spanking new and just the right size for an artist like Maggie Rogers.
This concert was my favorite live performance I’ve ever seen, period. She’s not my favorite artist, but there’s no doubt she’s incredibly talented and worth your listen. Her new album, Surrender, was written during the pandemic and is filled with everything she missed about live performances and what music could make her feel. This mentality of music isn’t shared by everyone, but when it’s shared with everyone, it becomes a universal feeling. Something about her performance combined with the quality of the audio in the room just blew my mind. I went into this concert knowing how much of her time and energy was poured into this record and it gave me a completely different mindset to have about a concert. There’s a whole new appreciation you gain for artists when you understand what their music means to them, as well as all music in general. Being able to just stand in the same room as them and letting them sing to you is absolutely incredible.
The last time I was at a concert it was Firefly. If you’re unfamiliar with what that is, it’s an outdoor multi-day concert that has several headlining artists and multiple stages within the Dover woodlands. There’s also a tree house but that’s neither here nor there, my point is the last concert I went to was not the best acoustic experience. This beat that by miles because of the venue and the FOH engineer, who I made sure to complement at the end of the show. Clair Brothers engineers know their stuff, obviously. The venue is owned by Clair as well as staffed by them when certain artists are in town. They’re one of the largest companies you’ve never heard of.
Rogers already toured Europe at the end of 2022 and was gearing up for her U.S. tour. It was exciting to be at what was essentially a rehearsal for the second part of her tour and with that, there were a few hiccups but nothing that deterred from the essence of the performance. I’m sure when I see her again at Radio City Music Hall, it will be even more spectacular. However, I’m not sure I’ll get that smaller-venue experience again. If you’re looking for the best concert experience possible for your favorite artists, try and find a venue they’re coming to that’s way smaller than normal. There are artists and groups that can cater to larger crowds better than others, but everyone can rock the box if they wanted to.