Matt Maeson in Texas

I finally got to see Matt Maeson live, can you hear me yelling?

After what felt like an eternity, I had the chance to see Matt Maeson on his first headlining tour in Austin and Houston. Over the past year, Matt Maeson has become an unexpected source of healing for me. Something about the songs he writes resonates with me and my experiences and makes me feel as if I am not alone in my fight. To hear him play these songs that have had such an impact on me was unforgettable.

The opening band, Betcha, absolutely blew me away. They were so much fun and the perfect start to both evenings. I got the opportunity to work with them a little bit before the show in Houston and had a blast, I am sure we will be hearing a lot more from them this year.

To be honest, I wasn’t sure what to expect going into these shows. For an artist that I typically listen to when it’s raining or I need to relax, I definitely wasn’t expecting it to be as high energy as it was. The small crowds were screaming the words to every song at the top of their lungs and dancing from start to finish.

My favorite part of the shows had to be when he sang Cliffy acoustic. That song holds a special place in my heart and being able to sing it as loud as I could surrounded by people who loved it just as much was cathartic and everything I wanted and more.

Despite performing to sold out crowds, these shows felt as if we were just listening to our friend play music at home. These shows were so intimate and Matt had a way of making everyone feel like family, it was casual and free of any judgement (no matter how off-key you sang).

After the shows Matt stayed to meet everyone who wanted to meet him, taking time to thank each individual fan for coming and to have genuine conversations, not just “hello, want a photo? ok bye”. It made me love him as an artist even more seeing how he interacted with his fans and how welcome he made me feel.

At the end of the Houston show, I found myself so sad that I couldn’t experience this tour a hundred more times. I know without a doubt I’ll be there singing along in the front row the next time he plays in Texas.

If you haven’t already, check out Matt Maeson’s debut album, Bank on the Funeral, it’s by far my favorite release of the year.

- Marissa



Gallery : Bad Suns at Emo's

This April, Bad Suns brought their latest tour to Emo’s in Austin, TX

Ok, I’ll admit, the first time that I saw Bad Suns in concert, opening for Halsey a few years ago, I didn’t bite. I halfway convinced myself that they weren’t for me and hadn’t given them much thought until everyone around me started talking about how good they were.

I decided to give them a try and go to their show in Austin this month and I gotta tell you, I am so glad that I did. I enjoyed every last second of this set and ended up getting some of my favorite photos ever. If you have an opportunity to catch these guys live, you definitely don’t want to miss out.

Check out the gallery of Bad Suns and opener Carlie Hanson below!


- Marissa


Lostboycrow and La Bouquet in Los Angeles

Yep, it’s me, forever gallivanting around the country to see my favorite bands.

This April, I made a pretty last minute decision to fly out to Los Angeles to see two of my favorites, Lostboycrow and La Bouquet, and wow did I make the right decision.

This show was my first time seeing Lostboy’s new record, Santa Fe, live and it was every bit as magical as I expected. Even during soundcheck I could tell that this was a totally different Lostboy than I’d seen last year. The confidence and self assuredness radiated from the stage, he was in his element and happier than I’d ever seen.

Seeing La Bouquet live was well worth the wait. I have been a fan for a long time, and was excited to see them perform all of my old favorites as well as their debut album. Lead singer Bryan is charismatic, a little weird, and one-hundred percent authentic, everything that I wanted and more from this performance.

Being in a room full of people I love (can you believe that my dream of being in a room with flor, halsey and lostboycrow came true?!) and listening to some of my favorite artists will be something I remember for the rest of my life, can’t wait for more trips and more memories like these.

- Marissa


Catfish and the Bottlemen in Houston

On March 15th, Catfish and the Bottlemen brought their latest tour to the House of Blues in Houston, TX.


Y’all. I honestly can’t even believe I’m writing this. Catfish and the Bottlemen has been one of my favorite bands for years now and getting the opportunity to photograph this show was an absolute dream.

When I arrived at the venue two hours before doors, I was very surprised to see a line of people that wrapped all the way around the top floor and down two more. It seemed that everyone there was just as excited as I was, even with such a long wait to get into the venue, the energy never faltered.

Finally, the opening band, The Worn Flints, took to the stage to start off the evening. I wasn’t sure what to expect with them, but I certainly wasn’t prepared for the show they put on. The only way I can describe the lead singer’s performance is to compare him to Jack Black in School of Rock (in the best way), he was all over the place, doing ostentatious, sometimes corny dance moves while showing off his impressive guitar skill. The audience ate up every last second, maintaining the excited energy from earlier in the day.

And then came Catfish and the Bottlemen. As if this situation couldn’t get any more perfect, I had the photo pit all to myself (s/o to lead singer Van McCann for laughing at me scream-singing along while I was shooting).

Catfish and the Bottlemen’s set was the perfect blend of older songs and new, for my fourth time seeing them, this was without a doubt the best performance. The band was completely in their element, they had the entire crowd’s undying attention at every moment.

Van McCann is one hundred percent one of the most underrated performers in music today. His stage presence is dynamic, he commands the room and channels the energy of the classic rockstars that came before him.

My favorite part of the entire show was when the set slowed down for a performance of Hourglass (not only my favorite Catfish and the Bottlemen song, but the moment I look forward to at every show of theirs). Even though I’ve heard it live before, nothing compares to the feeling of screaming out the words to this song in an otherwise quiet room. At one point, Van completely stopped singing, put down his guitar, and just listened to the entire room sing every line perfectly.

I was fortunate enough to catch both the Houston and the Dallas dates on this tour, they were definitely the best shows that I have been to this year (and right up there with my all-time best). I am so excited to see others fall in love with this band, their success with this new record is not only well-deserved, but only the beginning of a complete rise to fame for these guys, I can feel it.

If you need me, I’ll be impatiently waiting for Catfish and the Bottlemen to come back to Texas.

- Marissa

Check out the gallery below and make sure to see Catfish and the Bottlemen on tour this spring!

You Me at Six in Houston

On March 13th, British rock band You Me at Six brought their latest tour to the Bronze Peacock at the House of Blues in Houston, TX.

Admittedly, before attending their show, I hadn’t heard of You Me at Six, but I was excited nonetheless for the possibility of finding a new band to love.

When I arrived at the venue a few hours before doors, I was surprised to see that a line was already forming, something you don’t see to much at shows in the small room. I could tell right away that they had some pretty dedicated fans, which made me even more excited to hear their music.

The opening band, Dreamers, were the absolute perfect choice to start off the evening. I found myself getting genuinely angry throughout their set that more people weren’t talking about them. This band had an energy that filled the room and had everyone’s attention from the beginning.

Then, You Me at Six took to the stage. Y’all. When the band came onto the stage, for a minute I totally forgot that we were in such a small room, the audience went absolutely nuts. Their music is not something that I would typically go for, but their set was so much fun that I instantly became a fan. The entire band interacted with the crowd throughout the show, my favorite part being when the lead singer actually put his mic into the crowd for them to sing along with him.

Overall, I’m so glad that I had the opportunity to see these two bands in such a small space, I know without a doubt that they’ll be selling out bigger venues in the near future.

Be sure to check out You Me at Six on tour and the gallery below!

- Marissa