Maggie Rogers with The Japanese House at Merriweather Post Pavilion
BY LIZ BAUMMEROn a beautiful Sunday evening with the lawn packed, the amphitheater full, and the pit brimming with fans, Maggie Rogers, with support from The Japanese House, took the venue she’s been dreaming about since sixth grade, the iconic Merriweather Post Pavilion, by storm. Every fan there was in for a treat with such a dynamic lineup. The Japanese House is a perfect compliment to Rogers with incredible alternative, indie-pop music. The Japanese House, the stage moniker for the talented Amber Mary Bain, broke out hits such as Touching Yourself, Boyhood, and You Seemed So Happy to the delight of the crowd. There were a number of diehard fans right up against the barricade who were having the time of their lives dancing and singing along to every word! Overall, The Japanese House is not only a vocal powerhouse but also has such a good stage presence. It’s hard to explain but in the lovely summer weather with The Japanese House, I felt like I was at peace enjoying the perfect weekend evening. If I had not been taking pictures, I can not imagine anywhere better to be during their set than laying on a quilt in the setting, golden hour sun. They will definitely be joining my summer soundtrack rotation, and the next time I’m listening to them, I’ll certainly lay down in the sun and pretend I am back at Merriweather listening to them live.
In the forty minutes before Maggie Rogers took the stage, I wandered around, took in the sights that are Merriweather Post Pavilion (including a sick Music Pinball Arcade), and befriended some fans on the barricade while we waited for Rogers to take the stage. The fans had a Pride flag draped over the barricade that says “Can’t Hide What You Desire” that featured signatures from a multitude of fans. It comes out in conversation that we have previously crossed paths at another DC show, and they know of Out Jamz from our previous encounter. May I just say, I love concert friends : )
When the lights dim, and Maggie Rogers rises from the platform up center stage, the whole venue erupts, and the energy never dies down from there. The set includes a perfect mixture of high energy dancing and more stationary songs. But even stationed at the microphone center stage with her guitar, Rogers does not let being confined to the mic stand lower her energy. Maggie Rogers has vocals that make the live renditions of her songs even more powerful than their recordings, which is difficult to do considering the impact her recordings have on her fans. Rogers broke out two of my personal favorites, and clearly crowd favorites as well, Overnight and Light On. One of the highlights of the show was for sure the kiss cam. I am personally used to kiss cams at sporting events where you tend to see solely heterosexual couples, and to see the safe space that Maggie Rogers had cultivated that resulted in a kiss cam dominated by queer couples, especially during Pride month, healed something in me I did not even know was broken.
To make the night even more memorable, the way Maggie Rogers radiates pride for being from Maryland and for headlining a venue she’s been dreaming about since 6th grade, Merriweather Post Pavilion, is moving and enough to make me slightly emotional. And the state of Maryland certainly loves her back. Governor Wes Moore joined Rogers onstage to program June 16, 2024 officially Maggie Rogers day in Maryland to rapturous applause by the audience. He did this in recognition of Rogers’s steadfast commitment to registering voters, outreach surrounding reproductive health, and advocacy for fair ticket prices for fans. There’s something so inherently special about a hometown show. In my opinion, I can think of a very few higher honors than getting to capture an artist at the venue they traveled to for concerts as a kid. And Maggie Rogers makes that experience even more special. She talks openly about driving to Merriweather Post Pavilion for concerts as a teenager including recounting a harrowing night of driving back over the Bay Bridge one stormy evening after a show (which I can confirm as someone from Maryland is certainly on my list of experiences I would like to avoid).
And maybe this feels even more special because I have dreamed about getting to photograph at Merriweather Post Pavilion, similar to the way Maggie Rogers talks about getting to play Merriweather. It is one of my bucket list venues and just nine months ago I was sitting in the audience watching Maggie Rogers headline All Things Go and dreaming about being down in the Merriweather photo pit. And somehow, on a random Sunday in June, I found myself standing there looking up in awe at THE Maggie Rogers. To capture her hometown show, at my first show photographing at one of my dream venues, is an opportunity I do not think I will ever quite wrap my head around. I consider myself so incredibly lucky!
