As hundreds of music lovers piled in Stubb’s to see headliner Maggie Rogers, they were welcomed by the bashfully kind opener of the evening, Mallrat. With songs that differ in genres from rap to dream pop, singer-songwriter and electronic, the multi-genre Australian artist displayed her dynamic sound on Oct. 23.

Story by Hayli Rudolph

Photos by Maya Coplin

As the clock struck 8 p.m., Grace Shaw took center stage. Behind the 20-year-old smooth singing artist, stood DJ Denim. Between the girl-power duo, they had the audience shakin’ it.

Kicking off the evening with slower jam “Make Time” off her 2018 EP In the Sky, Shaw assured the crowd that the night was just kicking off. A group in the front row raved whether it was turtle speed slow or if the beat drop so hard that they needed a facelift after the soundwave passed.

The stage changed purple and blue to orange and red as the night progressed. The Brisbane native played her song “Texas” for the first time in Texas. Through pride and excitement, the Austinites joined in for the chorus screaming, “your heart’s big as Texas.”

The vocalist oozed a gentle passion. The more the audience smiled, the more she did. A wave of gratitude washed over the attendees as she checked to make sure everyone was hanging in there. “You look happy and good from here, I can tell,” Shaw said.

A few other Aussies connected with the singer, prompting a quick story about the club strip in Brisbane. Although she doesn’t identify herself as much of a partier, she said envitably she always ends up in the Valley come night’s end. She wrote a song about it and took it one step farther, wrote the chorus in Japanese. The song translates to “I’d rather be on Bunny Island,” an island that is literally taken over by rabbits in Ōkunoshima, Japan. The song’s electronic tune is fittingly called “Bunny Island.”

Her 35-minute set ended with fan-favorite, “Uninvited.” As she sang the final mix, she spun across the stage. Audience members sprung in place. Just as she said her goodbyes, small rain droplets descended, as if they were waiting for Mallrat to gift the listeners before they made their brief appearance.

From the smiles and the elevated heart rates, you would have thought she was the headliner.

Next time.