The Folk-Pop artist was a big hit at a small venue last Thursday
For a set where more than half of the tracks are acoustic ballads, Maisie Peters’ fans still managed to make full use of the dance floor last Thursday at Petit Campus. After running onstage as her band began the intro to “Stay Young,” the English artist set the energy level for the rest of the evening. Once the initial cheers died down, she didn’t hesitate to let us know that while many of these songs are sad and slow, “you’ve still got to stomp your little feet for me.”
The night began at 8 p.m. with Australian alt-pop artist Jack Gray opening the show. Due to Visa issues, Jack explained, his band could not join him, and his set was going to be acoustic. Jack’s vocals were highlighted really well as he reimagined his greatest hits; “Bullet” and “Fools,” and he showed off his talent on a guitar and keyboard, sometimes at the same time.
During the intermission, the venue played some real bops as they set up the stage, keeping the energy up and the crowd singing along. Once 9 p.m. hit, Maisie’s bassist and her synth player took the stage, and fairy lights were illuminated around Maisie’s mic stand. The first few tracks clearly showed off her newer electronic sound. During “Adore You” and “In My Head” she was gracefully dancing around the stage as if in her own world, and the crowd was equally as enthralled.
Halfway through, as Maisie picked up her guitar, it was time for those acoustic tracks. “Take Care of Yourself” from her newest EP, It’s Your Bed Babe, It’s Your Funeral, was dedicated to World Mental Health Day, and the crowd knew all the words to her first single “Place We Were Made.” The band left, as Maisie said she had prepared a special Canadian cover for us: a mashup of Drake and Carly Ray Jepsen; “Call me Maisie.” It was a hit and the crowd burst into laughter as they slowly caught onto the pun. In general, Maisie was quite funny. Her seemingly sad songs often had hilarious backstories. She even dedicated a song to her boyfriend modelling her new shirt at the merch table, which I only later realized was a mannequin.
Ending off her set with an extended version of “This Is On You,” Maisie wished us a goodnight, promising to return to Canada more often. The audience’s cheers would not subside until the band came out again for an encore. Playing literally their last two songs (that exist!), “Personal Best” and “Worst of you,” brought the night to a satisfying ending. Maisie Peters’ vocals really have grown so much since her debut on Youtube at the age of nine. Overall, for such a small venue, the production was great. Having the live bass and synth players really made the tracks sparkle, then her coming to meet all the fans after the show really made it a special one.
Feature photo by Cecilia Piga
