On Oct. 11, Maisie Peters’ “The Good Witch Tour” came to Boston. Held at the Roadrunner in Boston, the sold-out show held no punches. The 23-year-old British singer-songwriter gave an immersive, lively show packed with 19 of her greatest hits. Let’s discuss!
“The Good Witch Comes to North America” tour celebrated Maisie Peters’ sophomore album, The Good Witch. Released in June 2023 and debuting at #1 in the UK charts, the album showcases Peters’ incredible vocals and captivating songwriting abilities. Over the course of three months, Peters toured 27 cities across Canada and America, casting a spell over us all. The final show was held here, in Boston, Mass. The show was quickly upgraded to the Roadrunner after selling out the Royale in no time. The Roadrunner is a new concert venue, which opened in March of last year. I attended the show with my friend, Sierra, another big Maisie fan. We met up and took an Uber into the Guest Street location. Maisie was set to come on at 8:15, and we arrived at about 6:45. The line to get in was around the block, which was par for the course according to our Uber driver. To kill some time, we ate at Mainely Burgers (highly recommend) just down the street before entering the venue. There’s an American Flatbread and a Crumbl also on the street, so plenty of good bites nearby.
As someone who had never attended a general admissions show before, I was a bit anxious about going to a standing-room-only venue. Sierra had attended a show at the Roadrunner before, so it was nice going with someone who knew the ropes. Although the line was still long by the time we joined it, it went by super quickly and was very efficient. I could not be more pleased with my experience at the Roadrunner. Even though the 3,500 capacity venue was sold-out for the concert, I felt there was plenty of space to move around and dance along as one pleased. The crowd was courteous of one another, never shoving or getting too rowdy. Everyone was so friendly, complimenting each others’ witchy outfits and offering to take pictures for one another (if the girls who kindly took our pictures on both iPhone and film are reading this, we love you!). I felt that the overall atmosphere was just what you want in a concert—enough enthusiasm to make it fun but not so much craziness to make you feel unsafe. We chose to stand on the bottom floor, although they had an upper level as well. Our view was perfect, and like I said, we had plenty of room to breathe. The venue offers coat-check, but you can get away with tying your coat around your waist as we did to save a few bucks. They also have drinks for the 21+ crowd, with a signature cocktail made just for all the good witches in attendance.
As we entered the venue, we caught the tail-end of opener Grace Enger, and let me just say she definitely gained some fans that night. I downloaded her music as soon as I got home from the show (well, the morning after, since I crashed as soon as I got home! Your girl is not used to being out late on a Wednesday night). Her lyricism was amazing and I’m glad she was the opener. Maisie brought her back out for the encore and they performed “History of Man” together, one of my all-time favorite songs. Their voices were incredible together.
Maisie’s pre-show setlist was perfect for getting the crowd hyped up, including songs from The Cranberries, Taylor Swift, and Shania Twain (let’s go girls!). The anticipation and excitement of the crowd in the lead-up to Maisie’s arrival on stage was contagious. As soon as Maisie skipped out onto the stage for the opener, an abridged version of the titular “The Good Witch,” she captivated the audience. Although she wore a baby tee, a green, feathered skirt that channeled Hannah Montana, and brought out mic moves and hair flips a la Taylor Swift, don’t be fooled—Maisie Peters has something uniquely her own. She possesses a unique stage presence, infusing the room with her charisma. Peters has all the makings of a popstar—the ability to command a room, the vocals and songwriting abilities, and the clear passion for what she creates.
Some of my favorite parts of the show was when Maisie interacted with the audience. She almost got into trouble naming her “favorite” Boston schools! Before performing her hit song “Run” where she advises, “I’ve seen some flags/but the reddest one is/if a man says that he wants you in his life forever, run!” She scoured the crowd looking for those who had the biggest red flags. We got some funny stories, and Maisie even agreed to officiate a couple’s wedding in the future!
It seems that Peters has crafted the perfect setlist, where there is something for everyone—a mix of audience interaction, all-out band performances, and acoustic songs with just her and the guitar. The acoustic version of “Wendy” made me fully appreciate how sad the song is! Stripped back with just vocals and guitar, you fully hear the pain in the lyrics (“but what about my wings/what about Wendy?”), and the meaning becomes clear about a girl who has to leave a boy who can’t grow up. Another song I appreciated even more live was “BSC!” Screaming “BSC” (and the words it stands for, which I’m afraid I can’t write here!) at the top of my lungs with a room of 3,000+ women is something I will not soon forget. I loved hearing how performing the album live also made Maisie appreciate the album more. She said that performing ‘There It Goes” live transformed the song into something more than she dreamed it would be. Thinking of whatever was currently hurting us, whatever we wanted to let go, the audience chanted, “There it was, now there it goes” in what felt like a healing spell.
This concert was phenomenal, and I’ve honestly thought about it every day since. The venue, the crowd, the music—it all came together in a perfect night. On the Uber ride home, voices hoarse from singing our hearts out, Sierra and I talked about how incredible it was and how much it meant to see Maisie live. Live music has such a power to bring people together under one roof to forget everything for a night and just be present. Captivated by her personality and talent, Maisie Peters held everyone’s attention, and renewed my love for both her own music and the experience of concerts. It was a night I will always remember and be grateful for. And as for The Good Witch herself: the universe is indeed shifting for Maisie Peters, and I can’t wait to be here to see it.