Briston Maroney & Phoebe Go – First Avenue – Minneapolis (A PopEntertainment.com Concert Review)

Briston Maroney & Phoebe Go – First Avenue – Minneapolis, MN – February 10, 2024

Tennessee singer and songwriter Briston Maroney brought the energy during his sold-out show at the legendary First Avenue. The Ultrapure World Tour kicked off October 31st, 2023, in Brighton, UK, and as the tour moved from city to city, it's been nothing but sold-out shows, venue upgrades, festivals, high energy, and excitement.

Starting off the show was Indie Alternative artist Phoebe Go. Phoebe is no stranger to the music world, as she was a part of indie dream-pop band Snakadaktal in the 2010s and has been well versed in the music community for the last 14 years. She released her first solo five-song EP “Player” in 2022 followed by her two singles "Something You Were Trying" in 2023 and "7-up" in 2024. When the Australian artist took the stage, she was illuminated by soft warm lighting as she filled the room with a beautiful and raw set consisting of honest and genuine emotion and soft yet strong vocals. As she wrapped up her set, I'd say she definitely set the bar high for the performance to follow.

Once Briston hit the stage, the room was electric. The room was packed with fans of all ages, excitedly awaiting Briston to take the stage. Once he did the room exploded, bright and colorful light filled the space and bounced off the iridescent stage set up. He kicked off his set with "Body," "Small Talk," and "Chaos Party." Two of those songs were featured on his Ultrapure album released in 2023. In his 18-song set, Briston covered hits from his albums Sunflower: Deluxe and Ultrapure. He even visited his EPs “Carnival” and “Indiana.”

You could tell from the energy and the volume of the crowd alone that this show was different from any show on his tour. To make it even more special, Briston welcomed Jake Luppen from Minnesota band Hippo Campus on stage to cover "Boys Don't Cry" by The Cure. Before his encore, Briston sang his well-known and loved song "Freakin’ Out on the Interstate" before he ended his show with "Sink; Swim" and "Ultrapure" itself. To say I was excited for this show is an understatement. Briston Maroney truly knows how to bring an amazing show and feed off the energy of his crowds. Definitely a tour worth seeing."

Maddy Loch