The United Center glittered Thursday night for part two of Maggie Rogers’ The Don’t Forget Me Tour.
As the triumphant opening chords of “That’s Where I Am” began to play, Rogers emerged into a cloud of artificial fog dressed in a silver robe.
The last time I saw Rogers perform, in April of this year, she wore a casual T-shirt and jeans. I was at Chicago’s House of Blues, where Rogers played a stripped-down set to celebrate the release of her new album “Don’t Forget Me.” What makes Rogers extraordinary is her ability to captivate an intimate audience of 1,000 people, and then, six months later, dazzle an arena of more than 20,000 people.
After a mellow opening set from singer-songwriter Ryan Beatty — complete with lumberjack-themed set decor — Rogers performed a 100-minute set underneath a sparkling disco ball with a mix of songs from her newest work, “Don’t Forget Me,” as well as her 2022 album “Surrender” and her 2019 record “Heard It in a Past Life.”
Rogers whipped her hair to the quick beat of “Drunk” and skipped down the runway stage in knee-high boots during “The Kill.” Behind her, a wall of colorful lights flashed in intricate choreography, and a massive screen broadcasted a close-up view of Rogers singing. In rocking “So Sick of Dreaming,” Rogers switched a lyric about the New York Knicks to reference the Chicago Bulls.
Rogers appeared to be completely at ease in this large venue, dancing around the space in a way that reflected her confidence and growth as an artist with over a decade experience in the industry. Even Rogers’ older songs “Say It” and “Alaska,” which she wrote in her early folk-pop days, earned cheers from fans old and new.
In the middle of her 19-track set, Rogers brought Mavis Staples onstage for a rendition of the Staple Singers’ “I’ll Take You There.” The 85-year-old belted out impressive and wonderfully raspy riffs, as Rogers and the audience called back with “I’ll take you there!” Rogers beamed onstage with the legend, both of them playing the United Center for the first time in their careers.
Rogers also incorporated an acoustic set reminiscent of Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour surprise songs. With a glass of bourbon in hand and incense burning on top of the piano, she showed a more raw side of herself through songs “I Still Do” and “All the Same.” In a surprisingly lengthy monologue to the audience, Rogers joked about performing in Bugs Bunny’s stomping grounds — a reference to the iconic film “Space Jam” — and promised a return to the studio to make her next record.
For the finale, Rogers performed “Light On,” a tune she has likely sung countless times in concert, with so much spirit you’d think it was her first time performing it. Confetti fell onto the crowd, who held colored pieces of paper over phone flashlights to give the arena a rainbow light effect. As Rogers and her band bowed at the end of encore “Don’t Forget Me,” I could tell she would be playing arenas for a long time to come.
Email: [email protected]
Related Stories:
— Maggie Rogers’ ‘Box Office Week’ draws long lines, community
— Liner Notes: In ‘Don’t Forget Me,’ Maggie Rogers returns to folk roots with triumph
— Liner Notes: Maggie Rogers took me to church with “Surrender”
