Maeson: The Opposite of Cringeworthy

by Madisyn Siebert

On August 26, Matt Maeson took the Delmar Hall audience for a ride that mimicked his ongoing career—a steady rise that gripped the crowd and lifted them to new heights, leaving them begging for more.

The singer-songwriter, whose song “Cringe” has taken ownership of the Number 1 placement on the alternative charts, played to a practically sold-out show on a late summer evening. The crowd gathered close to the stage, and their different styles and ages indicated that Maeson attracts more than just one generation of fans.

His crowd’s diversity also shows that when you can draw a variety of people you are doing something right, and I can say personally I think Maeson is doing it all right.

photos: Cory Weaver

The evening kicked off with one of his more well-known songs “Hallucinogenics,” helping introduce Maeson and his two counterparts for the evening. The setup was relaxed and simplistic. The necessities were on stage: instruments, the band members, some lights and a paper cup from which Maeson could take small sips between each song.

What was also very telling of Maeson and his character was that at the beginning of his set, he did not speak to the crowd, but his continuous build-up of confidence throughout the evening became evident. The first thing he said to the audience was “I love you” back to a fan who yelled it between songs. His humbleness shined through more as he explained how he had become used to just opening up for people, and the fact that people were coming to his own almost sold-out shows was hard for him to process.

Maeson is coming into his own as a main act, and while I think he has more to learn, seeing him grow and develop is something to watch. He will always carry the humbleness of knowing where he started and how to make his fans feel appreciated and loved.

The most important part of this night was, hands down, the music. Maeson did a beautiful job on acoustic guitar, integrating what is usually seen as a calm and softer instrument with upbeat complementing tempos of the bass and drums. He made the audience see how undervalued the acoustic guitar is and twisted views of how the instrument should sound. He demonstrated this on songs such as, “Grave Digger,” “Tribulation” and “Tread on Me.”

Maeson did not just stick to an acoustic sound. He broke out an electric guitar for his song “Go Easy.” It’s clear to see him connect with his music, as he is constantly closing his eyes while he sings, evident that he’s in his own world—being taken back to the moment he wrote the songs. His emotions and vulnerability come out with him on stage.

He was truly in his element as he performed “Cringe.” The crowd’s hectic energy radiated back to Maeson, and it was a moment where he realized that people were there for him, even though the crowd was singing along the whole show.

The audience was enthralled for the entirety of the show, and once Maeson left the stage for his encore the crowd echoed back, “One more song!” Maeson returned to the stage with a giddy grin as he led into his last song, “Mr. Rattlebone.”

Maeson is coming into his own, and while it may be a bit slow, his talent has a lot to say about him and his music. I am waiting to see where he will go from here, because I know his career is headed in one direction: up.