Outside the Shrine Auditorium in Downtown Los Angeles, fans lined up to enter Maggie Roger’s 11th night on the Feral Joy Tour. Many danced into the auditorium singing some of Roger’s hit songs with smiles and laughter, which immediately filled me with joy.

Rogers started her tour Feb. 9 in Boston, Massachusetts after releasing her second album, “Surrender”, in 2022. Opening for Rogers is Del Water Gap, who released his self-titled LP in 2021 and is only joining Rogers for the North America portion of the tour. Del Water Gap started as a two-person band in 2012 with Rogers but transformed into a solo artist in 2015. Rogers and Gap float between pop, rock and alternative music incorporating, slow ballads, fast-paced joyful anthems and hard rock guitar-smashing medleys.

Rogers entered the stage in bedazzled boots shimmying to her song “Overdrive.” Rogers belted the lyrics “My love, would you walk, for hours just to talk?” to start off the show and took a second just to soak it in, staring at the crowd and smiling. Even as Rogers was singing, she continued to dance across the stage, lighting up the crowd. I did not expect to see Rogers move around as much as she did, but it was a wonderful addition to the show, even during her slower songs.

Rogers introduced her song “Love you for a Long Time” by asking the crowd who is in love. As someone who isn’t in love, it was still impactful and moving to hear the screams coming from those in love and watching the kisses exchanged during the song. Even though “Love you for a Long Time” is a slower-passed ballad compared to her other upbeat medleys, that didn’t stop the crowd from jumping up and down with Roger’s energy.

As I swayed with my best friend by my side, Rogers sang “I’ve got a Friend,” which she wrote for her best friend, who was in the audience. I couldn’t help but feel grateful to have my best friend next to me as we danced and sang. Many were emotional in the crowd as Rogers stared at her own best friend singing, “I got a friend and she’s got a friend too.”

She then brought out Gap to sing “New Song,” whichFF was written by both Rogers and Gap when they attend New York University together 10 years ago. They harmonized and danced together as fans cried in the audience (including myself). The rendition of a song written at a time when their lives were so different highlights the importance of friendship and connection. At the very end, they hugged before Gap ran off the stage, and Rogers continued to shimmy along to every beat.

At every concert on Roger’s tour, Headcount and Planned Parenthood set up booths advocating for both reproductive rights and voting rights. Headcount is an organization partnered with Global Citizen to get younger generations registered to vote and educated people on the importance of their vote. Planned Parenthood advocates for reproductive rights and helps those in need of an abortion. Both are movements Rogers advocates for, and she mentioned the organizations before saying, “It’s nights like tonight, getting people in a room together, that gives me hope.”

Before “Different Kind of World,” Rogers played “Fallingwater” from her first album “Heard it in a Past Life.” She stood as rainbow-colored lights flashed across the stage, and sang directly into the camera, projecting her emotion onto everyone in the crowd. She twirled across the stage, jumping and screaming the lyrics to the song but still had vast control over her voice and movement.

She ended her encore by playing “Different Kind of World,” which is also the last song on her album “Surrender.” The song advocates for peace in our world with the lyrics, “Thinking ’bout the state of the world, when we’re all riding together, I’m a different kind of girl.” This song illustrates the importance of sticking together and changing our world for the better. Her entire band stood with their heads down just listening to Rogers’s marvelous voice and her important message, emphasizing the significance of listening to one another in order to advance society.

Rogers was able to keep her energy palpable throughout the concert, which projected directly to all the fans in the audience. Everyone was dancing, singing and smiling throughout the concert showing Roger’s effect on those in the auditorium. Overall, I felt an immense amount of joy when exiting the venue. Not only did I feel sublime after her performance, but Roger’s attitude gave me hope for my future and generations after.