REVIEW: Maren Morris dazzles audiences at The Wiltern
Fans at The Wiltern got a taste of Maren Morris’ bubbly energy at the GIRL World Tour Saturday night. Though it has only been three weeks since the release of her album “GIRL,” Morris has already been on tour for nearly a month. But, that didn’t make her L.A. stop any less electric.
“It’s crazy that people already know the words when the album was just released. I’m still learning the words!” Morris joked to the crowd. Judging by their enthusiastic reactions, fans had already learned her lyrics.
The crowd, though loud during the entire show, became deafening when Morris performed some of her older tracks, especially “Rich,” “80s Mercedes” and EDM crossover hit “The Middle.” While Morris performed a diverse mix of songs from her first album, there was a fire in the performance of her new songs.
The loudest cheers erupted when the first arpeggios of “The Bones” rang throughout the auditorium. Clearly impressed with her fans’ recognition, Morris flashed the crowd a smile.
Though she isn’t yet selling out stadiums, it’s clear Morris has taken inspiration from Taylor Swift, whom she joined onstage at the Reputation Stadium Tour in Arlington, last fall. Like Swift, (although it might be fun to simply watch her dance around the stage) Morris’ star power emerges when she stands centerstage and talks to the crowd — with nothing more than her guitar.
The high production value of Morris’ set complemented her minimalist performance style.
From cotton candy-scented bubbles and rainforest-scented fog to neon backgrounds and dancing strobe lights, the stage design was interactive and kept fans engaged for the entirety of Morris’ set. It was clear throughout the show that Morris wanted fans to have fun with her music, even if her messages are sometimes sad.
“Making this album was a giant love fest, every song was written with friends,” Maren told the crowd. “Everybody gets sad sometimes, but having sad songs on the radio [and on tour] makes us feel more normal.” She then launched into her first number one single, “I Could Use a Love Song.”
In one of the more emotional moments of the night, Maren spoke to the crowd about the impact her song “My Church” has had on her career. Standing on stage with just a guitar and a spotlight on her, her voice broke as she joked about starting to cry every time she thought about the song. In response, the audience carried her through the bridge and final chorus, belting every word.
To appease concertgoers who don’t like country, Morris performed the Zedd-produced “The Middle” to the loudest cheers of the night. For one of the biggest songs of 2018, the relatively tame country crowd turned became reminiscent of a rave when she performed the hit song.
Morris’ impressive stage presence can be attributed to her voice. For the majority of the show, her vocals either matched or exceeded the album’s studio quality, leaving the audience in awe. With a few smash hits under her belt and impeccable prowess for live renditions, Morris cemented her star potential to every one who witnessed Saturday’s performance.