PEACH PIT / BRISTON MARONEY – LIVE AT THE MGM MUSIC HALL
By James Marinaccio
Peach Pit & Briston Maroney
MGM Music Hall at Fenway
June 24, 2025
There are certain bands that you simply go see. Of course, which bands belong in that category is entirely subjective. However, if you’re a fan of indie rock, Peach Pit and Briston Maroney are probably two artists who will find themselves somewhere on that list.
But what if the show is on a Tuesday night? Maybe. What if it’s on a Tuesday night and Briston Maroney is opening for Peach Pit? Absolutely.
The show did, in fact, fall on a Tuesday at MGM Music Hall at Fenway. And as luck would have it, Fenway was actually pretty busy that night—Hozier was performing the final show of his two-night stint at Fenway Park. One has to imagine there’s some overlap between these two fanbases, with the bigger draw being Hozier. That may have been the case for some, but there were plenty of us who happily chose a Peach Pit show over a Hozier show at Fenway Park.
As I alluded to, I’m a huge fan of both Briston Maroney and Peach Pit. I’d probably be classified as early to the Briston Maroney party and late to the Peach Pit one. They both started releasing music around 2017 or 2018. As far as Spotify monthly listeners go, they’re in the same ballpark (Maroney with 2.0M and Peach Pit with 2.3M). The groups certainly have differing styles, but they pair nicely.
Briston Maroney opened the show absolutely shot out of a cannon. He entered to a heavily distorted guitar, pounding drums, and flashing lights. And with the way the crowd responded, it was evident this show was more of a co-headlining event than a traditional opener-headliner setup. Maroney carries himself like a rock star. His band certainly plays the part as well. He had an unrelenting stage presence that reminded me of Brandon Flowers of The Killers. Maroney was constantly engaging the crowd and always found a way to somehow increase the energy in the building. He’s also extraordinarily talented—his live vocals sound like studio recordings, and he can masterfully navigate a guitar.
By the end of Maroney’s set, I was a little worried the crowd might be worn out for Peach Pit. Peach Pit has a signature melodic, chill vibe that I thought would be hard to follow Maroney’s borderline garage rock set. To my surprise, they opened with a cover of “War Pigs” by Black Sabbath. The energy was absolutely there.
Peach Pit’s guitarist, Christopher Vanderkooy, is a freak (in the best way possible). Having never seen them live before, hearing the signature twang of a Peach Pit song in person was surreal. Vanderkooy’s guitar solos were some of the best I’ve ever seen live. “Drop the Guillotine” and “Being So Normal” were highlight songs for me. Neil Smith’s vocals were perfect, and the band’s chemistry was a joy to jam out to. I can’t recommend seeing Peach Pit enough.
All things considered, the groggy Wednesday in the office was absolutely worth the experience of seeing these two acts.
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