Indie rock artists Phoebe Go and Briston Maroney sold out the iconic First Avenue in downtown Minneapolis this past weekend. Passionate fans packed the room wall-to-wall for a night of emotion, energy, and raw talent.
The first act of the evening was Australian-based artist, Phoebe Go. Even though it’s only February, Phoebe has had quite the year thus far as she has started dropping singles in preparation for her debut album which will make its way onto streaming platforms later this year. The first single off the album, “Something You Were Trying”, was released in October of last year and began gaining some traction coupled with the announcement of Phoebe’s appearance with Briston Maroney this spring. Just in time for tour, Phoebe released a second single, “7 up”, which features a classic, spirited indie pop sound. I would definitely recommend Phoebe Go for fans of Clairo, Girl in Red, Phoebe Bridgers, and Alvvays.
After giving a listen to “7 up” when it came out on February 1st, I was super excited to catch Phoebe opening up the evening. Her set was incredibly intimate and a joy to watch. Fans watched, enchanted, as Phoebe lit up the stage with her presence, intricate lyrics, and perfectly controlled vocals. Although her time with Briston Maroney is quickly coming to a close, I will definitely be keeping an eye out for Phoebe as she continues to grow her presence among the indie ranks.
Following Phoebe’s amazing performance was Briston Maroney. Every time I see Briston, I am amazed by their ability to create a storyline through their stage presence and production. The stage was adorned with holographic streamers and characters of all shapes and sizes (my personal favorite was the joyful-seeming cloud that sat between Briston and bassist, Zack Lockwood). This tour follows the release of Briston Maroney’s latest album, Ultrapure, which was dropped in September of last year. It also just so happens to be one of my favorite releases of 2023, so it’s safe to say that I was a little excited for the show. Fans were ecstatic as Briston took the stage and began with “Body”, their most well-loved single off of Ultrapure. The rest of the setlist was perfectly curated and featured tracks from nearly every release that Briston has put out over the years. It was truly a perfect night.
There is still an entire leg of the Ultrapure tour to come and you absolutely cannot miss it. Briston Maroney is a must-see for any avid listener of the indie genre. Be sure to keep tabs on both Briston and Phoebe Go in the next year; I expect we will be seeing a lot more of both of them. Catch them while you can!
Phoebe Go
Briston Maroney
