Tuesday night, in a flourish of white silk and angelic vocals, Maggie Rogers played what she claimed was her biggest show to date. It was at the beautiful Santa Barbara Bowl, beneath stars and looking out over the ocean, that the young singer graced the stage – and I do mean graced. Rogers’ live performance seems oddly refined for the first headlining tour of her career. If she hadn’t given a teary, heartwarming speech at the end of her set about how only a few years ago she was in college, writing songs alone in her room, you would hardly be able to tell that she hasn’t been doing this for years. She is as much a joy to watch as she is to listen to; her stage presence is magnetic – twirling, dancing, and jumping across stage while brandishing a silky scarf à la Stevie Nicks. Perhaps the best and most endearing aspect of Maggie Rogers’ performance is the pure joy that she exudes while on stage; she and the audience seemed more than content to bask in each other’s presence and dance all night long.
