This post was updated April 23 at 7:53 p.m.
Maisie Peters might have performed before the bloom, but her artistry blossomed on stage.
The British singer-songwriter brought her “Before The Bloom Tour” to Hollywood’s Fonda Theatre on Wednesday night. The concert marked the final American show of this tour leg before Peters performs in Brazil on Saturday and precedes the artist’s upcoming third studio album, “Florescence,” which is due to be released May 15. Over the course of a tight 75-minute set, Peters played 16 songs – including six tunes from “Florescence” – that encompassed her growing discography, entertaining the audience with excellent vocals and heartwarming charisma even if her minimalistic set and frequent prattle sometimes detracted from her musicianship.
From 8 to 8:30 p.m., concertgoers were enraptured by opener Bella Kay, who seemed equally comfortable crooning her instantly catchy “iloveitiloveitiloveit” – which recently reached the top 20 on the Billboard Hot 100 – as she was offering a soulful cover of Drake’s “Hotline Bling.”
Peters took the stage just after 9 p.m. with the 2021 track “Love Him I Don’t” off her debut album “You Signed Up For This.” She won the crowd over quickly while playing a large mahogany guitar, whipping her hair and leading chant-ready lyrics such as “Now it’s coming up roses, kicking up snow / What a long winter, what a bad joke.” Peters’ vocals were especially twangy on this first number, but such a delivery was suitable for the track’s contemplative yearning.
The concert’s arguable peak arrived with the second song, the electrifying “Lost The Breakup,” as Peters shifted to playing a smaller tan-colored guitar that she used for the majority of the show. The tune from her 2023 sophomore LP “The Good Witch” was met with an exuberant response from the crowd, many of whom were dancing enthusiastically while clapping along at Peters’ direction. Defiant lyrics such as “I’ll smile and you’ll have to face it / I’m the greatest love that you wasted,” seemed tailor-made for getting the entire auditorium belting along.
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The sentimental “Place We Were Made,” Peters’ 2017 debut single, followed with finger-picking on the guitar and delicate vocals. By this point, Peters had started interspersing most songs with a couple minutes of chatting with the audience – a recurring pattern that made the space between artist and spectator feel intimate and comfortable but sometimes impeded the setlist’s momentum. Peters’ reflections before “Place We Were Made” were probably the most introspective of the evening as she spoke about the evolution of her career.
“I wrote it when I was living at home in my parents’ house, which is in a very small town in England with lots of sheep and one bus,” Peters said. “I wrote this song about just being desperate to leave and see the world and be part of something bigger, which feels cool to be saying and singing for you now in LA.”
Peters then shifted to the night’s first two tastes of “Florescence” with the previously released singles “Audrey Hepburn” and “Say My Name In Your Sleep.” The former was not as memorable as its Oscar-winning namesake but struck a romantic tone. During the latter, Peters set down her guitar to walk around the stage and extend her arms toward her fans.
The performer segued quickly into the only cover of the set, confidently belting the 1977 Fleetwood Mac tune “Silver Springs.” Peters’ rendition – presented while surrounded by pale blue and golden lights – was considerably more jubilant than Stevie Nicks’ raw, almost guttural vocal performance, but her take on the anthemic classic was evocative nonetheless.
“Volcano” from Peters’ first album allowed the singer to showcase a higher-pitched part of her vocal range. The euphonious execution was complemented by passionate guitar strumming and flashes of pink light on stage. Peters teased the crowd with “Vampire Time,” an unreleased song from “Florescence” that she said tells the story of how she met her boyfriend.
As the audience digested the new song, the simplicity of the stage – which featured a paper screen backdrop and an end table holding a vase of flowers as its only decorative elements – became more apparent. Peters did not necessarily need more elaborate production, but perhaps the staging could have been slightly more detailed to tie into some of the most memorable lines from her music.
Peters switched to a third guitar for “Florescence” single “You You You,” which might have featured the most devastating lyrics of the concert. With part of her four-person band offstage, the focus was fully on Peters under a simple spotlight as she sang lines such as “I breathe about you / Yeah, your name lives in my chest / My lips around you / You’re my constant cigarette.” The conviction of Peters’ sincere vocals made the track’s themes of longing all the more palpable.
Switching up the vibe, the buoyant 2021 tune “John Hughes Movie” was another highlight of the show. Peters abandoned her guitar to dance around the stage to the bubbly song, which was the only instance during the concert that light was projected off of the Fonda Theatre’s disco ball. “Two Weeks Ago” followed as Peters crouched at the edge of the stage, while the 2023 bonus track “Yoko” prompted a loud response from the audience with its lyrics referencing The Beatles and Yoko Ono.
Another surprise was up Peters’ sleeve with the live debut of “Kingmaker,” the most recent drop from “Florescence” that was released Tuesday. Peters was joined on stage by Julia Michaels, the six-time Grammy nominee and hit songwriter who collaborated on the track. Michaels’ time on stage felt too short and it was difficult to hear her microphone, but the two artists seemed to enjoy sharing the stage as they jived in unison. “History Of Man” and “There It Goes,” both from “The Good Witch,” came next but were underwhelming relative to Michaels’ appearance.
The closing number was the ebullient “My Regards,” released in February from “Florescence.” Peters led the theater in a dance tutorial alongside some call-and-response components, skipping and frolicking across the stage before being joined by her twin sister, Ellen. The lyrics of this song were more tongue-in-cheek as Peters sang “Send the boys and the girls of the city / Best of luck, my regards from his bedroom.” After several minutes of energetic and free-spirited choreography, Peters disappeared backstage around 10:15 p.m.
It is not a reductive statement to say that Peters’ artistry shines most when she leans into the Taylor Swift-adjacent elements of her songcraft. After all, Peters was tapped as an opener when The Eras Tour visited Wembley Stadium in 2024. Her style – both artistically and aesthetically – feels distinct, from her unique lane of folk-pop to her white bodysuit worn under a see-through white dress. That said, Peters shines the most with her committed guitar playing and propulsive bridges and choruses.
With a fresh album “Florescence” around the corner and her live abilities flowering in new ways, future concerts from Peters seem destined to flourish.
Email Sperisen at [email protected].
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