Review: MARO + NASAYA @ Brighton Music Hall 2/28
Photo Credit: Another Planet Entertainment
Review by Jonny Malyon
Maro and Nasaya are currently on tour for their recently released album, “Lifeline.” Maddie Jay is on this leg of their tour with them and played an opening set before them. Brighton Music Hall isn’t the biggest venue, but it was packed full from the start of the show. Maddie’s set was a bit more alternative pop than the dance-centric music to follow, but it still had the crowd grooving along. She was accompanied by a trumpet-playing multi-instrumentalist who helped fill out the sound. She pointed out that all of her music is self-produced, and despite having a few technical difficulties throughout her set, it set up a very fun energy for the night. Maddie is also a Berklee College of Music graduate and wished all the Berklee audience members good luck.
Shortly after her set, Maro and Nasaya took the stage. Their set up was fairly minimal, with Maro on stage right and Nasaya on stage left. There were five vertical light bars in a semi-circle behind them, that would change colors and flash with the music. These lights, paired with the more customary stage lights moving around behind them and the occasional burst from fog machines, made for a very ethereal and captivating visual. Maro and Nasaya each had an electric guitar and a keyboard stand with a MIDI controller on it in front of them, as well as a microphone each. In between them at the back of the stage was their routing set up and laptop, which Nasaya would occasionally retreat to in between songs.
Overall, the energy of the set was very consistent. The majority of their music together relies on a consistent danceable rhythmic backbone with Maro’s angelic voice soaring over a bed of intricate synths and guitars. The set largely revolved around “Lifeline,” their only full-length album together. They played all the songs from that record, but also included a couple songs from their EP together, “PIRILAMPO” and the single, “Midnight Purple.” Before playing “Midnight Purple,” which came fifth in their set, Maro introduced it as the first song they ever made together. She told a fairly rambling, but endearing story about when she and Nasaya first met in their fourth year at Berklee College of Music. When they first talked about working together, Nasaya showed up at her apartment, ready to work on music. But, Maro didn’t fully realize that’s what they were doing, so she just started working on her own homework projects. The story fell a little flat, but it did help the audience connect to Maro and Nasaya in a more personal way, as many of the audience were currently attending Berklee and we all got to see a bit of her quirky, conversational side.
Later in the set, Maro shouted out Berklee students and Nasaya made a couple good-natured music nerd jokes. It definitely felt like there was a strong, lasting community there. Personally, I have never seen so many backpacks at a concert. The other community that was heavily represented was Portuguese speakers, who Maro called out towards the end of the show. A lot of those fans were the ones singing along to every word at the top of their lungs. Maro thanked us for being there multiple times and talked about how much of a full circle moment it was for them to be playing in this packed-out venue that they were introduced to when they were here during their time at Berklee. It all felt very genuine and heartfelt. It was clear that it was a special moment for them, and that energy spread into the audience as well.
At the end of the day, the highlight of the show for me personally was always going to be Maro’s voice. I have heard very few voices that can rival her level of technical ability, emotion, and absolutely gorgeous tone. I could listen to her all day. It was fun to hear it contextualized in this way and see it all performed by two good friends who have been working together for a while now. The whole night just felt very positive and full of gratitude, I’m grateful to have been a part of it.