Maggie Rose Brings Her Latest Album To Life On A Hometown Tour
Everyone Makes It Out Of A Maggie Rose Show Reenergized
Date: May 26th, 2024
Venue: The Birchmere
Alexandria, VA
What’s better than a concert with an incredible artist? A hometown show, with that artist! What’s up, everyone? Derek here, a.k.a. The Photographic Ginger and I’m back again with another incredible night of music in our nation’s capital, or on this night, just over the river.
Maggie Rose
While her musical sound has often leaned into the country genre since making her published debut in 2009, Potomac, Maryland native Maggie Rose has recently been showcasing her talents that span genres. With her latest album, No One Gets Out Alive which was released in April 2024, she flawlessly blends her country roots into tracks that showcase her vocal abilities while delicately weaving in touches of Pop and Rock. All of those moments present themselves beautifully in a live format.
On a Sunday evening at “America’s Legendary Music Hall” The Birchmere in Alexandria, VA, fans, friends, and family all began to fill the space to celebrate and witness the talent of the over 100-time Grand Ole Opry performer.
As her band took to the stage and welcomed us into their world through a short instrumental intro, Rose then walked to the stage while receiving a loving and warm welcome from the room. It was then that the energy immediately skyrocketed through the roof as the band kicked into full gear and the sounds of “Dead Weight” began. It was immediately understood why many fans will travel to various places and go to multiple shows of Rose’s as the energy in the room is what you strive for with every concert, all blended with amazing vocal and musical talent upon the stage.
Shortly after the rhythmic sounds of an energetic tambourine, injected with a bit of soul led us through “Do It.” The tempo then slowed down a touch as Rose grabbed an acoustic guitar to take us on the musical adventure “Under The Sun.”
As the evening continued, we were met with many memorable moments as Rose’s vocal talents accompanied by her incredible band allowed us all to transcend into a world where nothing else mattered and for an hour and a half everything going outside of the four walls didn’t matter as much. Some of those moments were found in the vocal vulnerability of “Mad Love” and “Too Young,” the latter focusing on Rose alone as she performed an acoustic solo. Other moments were found in celebrating a Top 20 hit with her latest single “Fake Flowers” as well as the harmonic and community-building sounds of “Pull You Through” which had vocal support from opener Fancy Hagood.
To close out the set the energy continued to grow as Rose and the band had a full-out jam session to the tunes of “What Makes You Tick” and “Smooth.” It was then time to bring the official set to an end in the most fitting way, with the opening track that doubles as the title track for her latest album with “No One Gets Out Alive.” It was a mindblowing end to an incredible evening of music as the song slowly grew to a crescendo of stellar proportions all guided by the power yet delicacy of Rose’s voice.
Fancy Hagood
Some opening acts you’re introduced to for the first time as they walk on stage and in some cases, you go to a show knowing it’s going to be wonderful as the headliner is paired with another of your favorite artists. The latter was the case for me as I’ve followed Fancy Hagood for a few years but never got the opportunity to experience a live show of his.
My first introduction to Hagood was actually in the form of his first single (under his current stage name) with the release of “Don’t Blink” in 2020, as I remember being captivated by the vocal power, range, and vulnerability that was captured within the track. From that moment on, I was hooked. He’s since released his album Southern Curiosity but has been focused on new music over the last few years that break boundaries and expand visibility within genres such as country.
You can find him as he hosts Trailblazers Radio on Apple Music each month featuring songs curated by Hagood and his special guests. Using his platform he also supports and continues to amplify voices across the LGBTQ+ community in various ways, from his resources located on his website to bringing queer artists together to record a special EP for Apple Music that takes well-known country songs and breathes new life into them with songs such as Shania Twain’s “From This Moment On” performed by Fancy and TJ Osborne (of Brothers Osborne).
During his set, he experienced something that I too rarely experience at a show… a completely attentive audience. No huge sea of phones or loud people chatting about random stuff at the top of their lungs, just simply an audience engaged with the talent on stage, which was truly a breath of fresh air. It was truly magical as from the moment he set foot on stage, introduced himself and performed “Don’t Blink” the crowd was instantly his and it’s safe to say immediate fans much like my own experience.
We were treated to a few new songs off his upcoming sophomore album (you’ll be hearing a bit about that soon if you give him a follow on social media) that were made even more memorable by the stories he told to explain how the songs came to be and what they meant, songs such as “American Spirit” and “More.” Perhaps the one that stood out to me the most though was a song, or technically a ballad, he’s not often performed live and that was “Fly Away.” It’s a song about chasing your dreams and being proud of being authentically you.
To close out his set he performed the title track from his debut album, and one that you should check out if you haven’t already, “Southern Curiosity.” It’s a song that in many ways tells you the story of Hagood and who he is, but mark my words, his story is just beginning. He’s an artist you should have in your music library and he’s a person that makes the world a little brighter.
See the Full Gallery of the Night 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
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