Barefoot and bold, Maren Morris brings Dreamsicle to Auckland
Standing shoeless on a white rug, country pop star Maren Morris transformed Auckland’s Kiri Te Kanawa Theatre into a place of joy and uplift on Wednesday night.
Maren’s latest record D R E A M S I C L E solidifies her move towards the pop and R&B world, but unlike many pop concerts, the focus wasn’t on the glitter or elaborate costume changes. The show and its production was all about the music, brought to life with Maren’s rich, powerful vocals, and her four extremely tight bandmates.
The Nashville-based artist spins around in blue jeans as she sings songs that have clearly become anthems for the audience, with each tune inviting more punters off their feet to sway and clap along with her. Her wavy brown hair hangs so long down her back, it brushes the waistband of her Levis, and I can’t help thinking she’s the personification of the idiom ‘let your hair down’. Not only is she a woman that's sure of herself, but she makes everyone in the room feel the same way.
Just like Maren, the music is authentic and lively, with choruses that lift and dramatic R&B transitions between numbers. Everyone rises for her chart-topping 2016 hit ‘My Church,’ the opening chords prompting our hands together as we find religion in the music. I felt like I was in the centre of a massive group of old friends, worshipping treasured memories of shared experience. It’s moments like these that we remember how music can somehow bring a sense of togetherness among strangers.
The show ends with ‘The Bones’ from her 2019 album GIRL, an empowering and electrifying finish. As her band jams over the outro, Maren picks up her heels – resting beside her mic stand throughout the performance – and, with her other hand, raises her glass of wine in a proud toast to the crowd. The applause and cheer lingers as she dances off, unhurried and smiling, leaving behind an honest and pure sense of happiness.
