Emerging Artist MARIS Showcases Her Authenticity in Her First Music Festival Set

Emerging Artist MARIS Showcases Her Authenticity in Her First Music Festival Set

MARIS, a queer artist originally from Montana who “hitched a ride on a comet” to Los Angeles to pursue her dreams of creating ’80s influenced pop music, performed with high spirits and an authentic presence on the first day of the annual Boston Calling music festival.

This three-day music festival is not only an extraordinary opportunity for young emerging artists like MARIS to perform and build meaningful connections with new listeners, but also a great chance for adventurous individuals with a far-reaching appetite for music to exposed themselves to a variety of music genres including indie, alternative, pop, rock, country, and a mix of all of the listed.

The first-day lineup for Boston Calling 2024 included a blend of talented musicians at different stages of their careers, ranging from well-established and adored artists like Ed Sheeran, Leon Bridges, and Reneé Rapp to the niche alternative bands like Beach Weather, the Cannons, and MARIS.

The bass drums of MARIS’ performance started with a thud opening as MARIS came skipping across the stage with a shag haircut and an ’80s-inspired red jumpsuit with white collars and stars.

MARIS greeted her audience with energy and excitement when she shouted, “Hi Boston!” expressing enthusiasm for her first-ever festival performance.

Following the thudding drums and cymbals, the synthesizer joined, forming an upbeat disco rhythm as the artist began to sing.

“If I was somebody else / Who would I wanna be?” she sang, starting her 2023 single “GOING YET!”

MARIS’ music style is defined by her authenticity, optimism, and the lively cosmic energy she exhibits. All of her songs, inspired by the ’80s upbeat rhythm with a blend of traditional rock and pop, immediately uplifted the atmosphere surrounding the Allianz Blue Stage.

So far, MARIS has released five singles and an EP, Gravity, composed of six tracks.

During her set, MARIS sang and danced across the stage dynamically and passionately, captivating more listeners from the nearby Ferris wheel and colorful inflatable structures. As she wrapped up her first song, fully animated, the growing crowd cheered loudly for her, ignoring the sun’s glare.

Two dancers emerged from the sides of the stage and ripped the sleeves off of MARIS’ red jumpsuit, surprising the audience and leaving her with a vest-suit as she started her second song “False Idol,” another upbeat catchy song accompanied by the groovy sounds of electric guitar and drum beats. The artist danced alongside the two dancers with her new outfit during the chorus.

“I’ve been running from your shadows / You were just a false idol,” MARIS sang, hopping on one foot to the side and swinging her opposite arm out the other side.

She kicked her feet in the air and danced around the stage like an avid music listener would in a room with no one watching. After each song, the audience cheered for her and applauded.

Midway through the performance, MARIS opened up about the challenge of moving to Los Angeles to pursue her artistic career and the pressure to fit into pop artist culture. She sat down on her knees on the stage and detailed her struggles to the audience with her next song “Chameleon,” a new single set to come out in September, she said.

After “Chameleon,” she sincerely thanked the audience for not only listening to her but also allowing her to express herself. There was a heartfelt “awe” chorus from the audience when they heard her say “I’m gonna cry,” before moving on with her set.

“We’re gonna party now!” she screamed after “Chameleon,” and the crowd responded with energetic cheers.

Her next song, “Julia Roberts,” her latest single, was inspired by Pretty Woman, the ’90s rom-com she said she watched endlessly, “curled up in a ball” at her place in L.A.

“Julia Roberts / You know you want her / What I gotta do to get you to want me? / Pick me out of the crowd just like in the movies,” she sang, as two dancers twirled next to her and the crowd moved up and down with the beat.

MARIS then recounted the story of her falling in love in high school with a girl with a boyfriend as she sang “Heavenly Bodies,” a dynamic track with a climactic chorus.

“You live on Venus, I really mean this / Don’t tell me you need space / Between our heavenly bodies,” she sang.

The artist fully owned the stage, dancing around and kicking her feet to the explosive beats, while singing her heart out as the audience bopped in sync with the rhythm and nodded their heads side to side.

The singer closed off her set with “Voicemail,” the crowd clapping to the beat and jumping up and down. Midway through her last song, MARIS thanked the musicians and dancers one by one by name for helping her perform at Boston Calling. The artist wrapped up her first music festival set and thanked the audience once again before she stepped off the stage to continue her cosmic journey.