Briston Maroney had students ‘freakin’ out’ at UPB fall concert
Photo courtesy of UPB; credit: Sienna Lewis
“My name is Role Model,” said fall 2025 concertist Briston Maroney, who is, in fact, not indie artist Role Model.
The annual fall concert event, put on by Chapman’s University Program Board (UPB), was held Oct. 24 at The Grove of Anaheim, just a 10-minute drive from campus with busing provided for ticket holders. The Grove is a venue with a capacity of 1,700, with 327 Chapman students attending the show.
Though certainly not Role Model, Maroney has a few major things in common with the artist; both are American singer-songwriters of the indie pop and indie rock genres who lean toward slightly angsty, relationship-driven lyricism — and who have both performed on UPB’s fall concert stage in the last two years.
The show was fast-paced, guitar-heavy and, overall, electric, though it started off on a slower note. Aside from the first eager fans speed-walking to secure spots along the front of the stage (after being told repeatedly not to run by security,) students trickled in without much rush. Concertgoers were initially greeted by a DJ spinning Y2K throwbacks after coming in through the courtyard, decked out with photobooths, merch tables and string lights.
Students under 21 had smiley faces drawn on the backs of their hands instead of the traditional Xs, a testament to the simultaneously easygoing and excited atmosphere that increased as 9 p.m. drew closer. Warmed up by the DJ, the crowd was dancing and singing along, even cheering for the concert tech as he did a final check of each instrument during the transition to the main event.
When Maroney and his accompanying bandmates took the stage, the crowd erupted. The artist played his own strings along with the bassist, electric guitarist and a drummer, cementing his signature indie rock sound.
The band has all the makings of a true rock band, especially in terms of performance: the headbanging and hair-flipping, running and dancing across the stage, three types of guitars and a set of drums — it’s their often-melancholic lyricism and retro-inspired vibe that ultimately push them into indie territory.
Before the third song — and one of my personal favorites — “Paradise,” Maroney had danced his beanie off and his bassist, Zack Lockwood had kicked his shoes aside in favor of dancing in socks. The band was playful and engaging, balancing newer songs with classics from as far back as 2017, when they released their first EP, “Big Shot.”
“This isn’t my first rodeo,” said Maroney, and that much was clear. Amidst the gritty rock and roll, there was grace in the band’s clearly practiced routine of switching guitars, introducing songs and engaging the audience. He knows how to work a stage — dancing and playing with all three of his bandmates just as much as he interacted with the audience.
Maroney performed new songs like “Tomatoes” and “The View” in combination with songs that helped propel him into the mainstream, including “Paradise,” “June” and “Caroline,” alongside his most popular, “Freakin’ Out On the Interstate,” all with an unapologetic stage presence that indulged fans in his authentically fun, grounded personality.
His live vocals and instrumentals outperformed even his best-recorded tracks, especially “Caroline” and “June,” both of which were stripped-back and slowed slightly in their performance, allowing Maroney’s raw emotion and skilled musicianship to truly shine through.
Monologuing occasionally between songs, Maroney managed to build up the hype of the crowd until everyone was screaming and clapping together, making it seem like the roof might just come off. Other times, he opted for more reflective approaches, such as his introduction to “Be Yourself,” which left the audience with a message to do just that.
The dichotomy of his performance was what truly makes Maroney stand out on stage; his ability to work a crowd across the entire spectrum of emotion is commendable.
Having just come off a tour with Peach Pit and with almost 2 million monthly listeners on Spotify, Maroney was no small name to bring to campus. For sophomore history major and UPB Special Events and Traditions Director Craig Seiler, planning for the late-October concert started in June.
In collaboration with partner Babco Entertainment and with $75,000 in funding approved by Student Government Association (SGA), Seiler created a shortlist of possible artists and genres based on UPB/SGA budget and artist availability, which he used to narrow down potential performers until landing on Maroney.
Supporting Seiler in planning and execution was his committee of 33 members, about 100 total UPB student members, a chair, a graduate assistant, eight executive board members and three other directors.
As the special events and traditions director, Seiler is in charge of UPB’s annual events, such as the fall concert. UPB also has an on-campus director, off-campus director, marketing director and two marketing assistants and a program assistant heading up the executive board.
UPB members were at the show an hour and a half before it started to set up and talk through logistics before checking students in and facilitating the event, though Seiler, the UPB chair and UPB’s graduate assistant arrived five hours early, with the rest of the executive board coming an hour later.
Toward the end of his set, Maroney left the audience with a piece of advice: “If you’re ever feeling like you don’t have somebody who wants you to be the person who you are in your life, I promise you, you do. You just gotta wait and find them, ‘cause they’re out there. You deserve to be the person that you are.”
Aside from a rocking performance and captivating vocals, the best part of his show was that Maroney stood in to be that person for the crowd. He created a space for audience members to be authentically themselves, just as it was clear he was truly himself on stage.
As much as students were there to listen to him perform, he managed to make each person feel listened to, and that was what made this year’s UPB concert so special.