Maris recently turned DC9 into a giddy little rocket ship, lifting a packed room with a set that blended glossy pop hooks, sharp storytelling, and an easy, conspiratorial charm.
Steve Satzberg was there to photograph the show!
ChatGPT produced the following article to accompany original photographs by Steve Satzberg.
From the first synth swell on Sept. 24, Maris treated DC9 like her living room, leaning into verses with a confessional hush before snapping choruses wide open — clean beats, bright melodies, and vocals that carried both sparkle and ache.
Between songs, Maris kept the crowd laughing with quick asides and self-deprecating jokes, then pivoted on a dime to moments of disarming sincerity. The band — tight and tastefully spare — left plenty of air for her voice to glide, using glints of guitar and pulsing pads to frame each refrain. DC9’s intimate room did the rest: hands up near the stage, friends shouting along by the bar, a little balcony bounce overhead. It felt like a secret shared in real time.
Watch the official music video for “It’s Hard (to be a Man)” by Maris on YouTube:
The set moved like a diary with a motor, threading late-night crushes, second chances, and the sting of growing up. Maris favored crisp, instantly memorizable choruses, but she also carved out softer corners — letting bridges bloom, stripping back to keys for a verse, stretching a final line until the room held its breath. When the tempo kicked again, the floor answered with a unified sway that became a dance.
Maris has the poise of an artist who knows exactly what she wants her songs to do: Arrive fast, hit hard, and leave you humming on the sidewalk. By the close, the crowd was louder than the PA, and she rode that swell with an encore that underlined her knack for anthems that still feel personal. It was the kind of club show that makes you check tour schedules on the way out, certain the next time will be in a bigger room.
We were on hand to capture it — be sure to check out Steve’s photo gallery for Maris on stage.
