Review and photos by Katrina Gelety

Country music duo, Maddie & Tae, brought their Here’s to Friends Tour with Anna Vaus as opener to the Roxian Theatre in McKees Rocks, PA on August 16, 2024. It was Vaus’s last show of her run of the tour. She mentioned during her set that she wanted her music to feel like driving along the coast of California with your hand out the window, and after listening to her set, I believe she perfectly executed that goal with her sound. It has a carefree, Fleetwood Mac-esque vibe that fits so well with driving on a sunny day.

The song of Vaus’s that stuck out the most to me was “Happy Trails,” which will be released on September 20th. The message of the song reminded me of Rascal Flatts’ hit “My Wish” in the way that Vaus sings about the hopes she has for a loved one; one of them being the hope that “happy trails you.” I adore the play on words and cannot wait to add it to multiple of my playlists.

I loved the story Vaus told prior to singing her song “How Bout That” where she recalled the moment she found out she was playing the same festival as the Dave Matthews Band, her ex’s favorite band. She brought up the fact that he would have to see her name on the festival lineup when he went to buy a ticket and wanted to write a song about how great it felt knowing that.

In all honesty, I didn’t know Vaus’s music prior to this show, but it’s times like this that truly cement how important it is to catch opening acts at concerts. I’ve discovered so many of my favorite artists as opening acts and can now add Anna Vaus to that list.

Shortly after Vaus’s set, Maddie & Tae graced the stage with their newest single “Free Like” which had EVERYONE singing and dancing. It was heartwarming to see such a diverse crowd, from men and women to children and adults, all having the time of their lives. It appeared that two other crowd favorite performances were “Friends Don’t” and “Every Night Every Morning.” I noticed every person in the audience singing at the top of their lungs, including myself since those are two of my personal favorite songs as well.

A little over halfway through the set, Maddie & Tae sang their song “Heart They Didn’t Break” which was written by Anna Vaus! The girls invited Vaus on stage to sing with them, and the addition of a 3rd harmony took the song to another level. Having Vaus on stage also reinforced the message behind the song: friendship and appreciating the ones who are there to help you through heartbreak. Vaus sang the last chorus on her own, and it filled me with joy to see the love and cheers the crowd showered her with during it.

Another highlight from the set was when the band took a break, and Maddie & Tae sang “Fly” acoustically. Their vocals and harmonies shined and touched many in the audience. Friends were hugging and swaying, and parents were singing the lyrics to their children. It was a special moment I won’t soon forget.

The last song of the night was their hit “Die From a Broken Heart.” Right before they began singing, the girls talked about where they were in their lives prior to the song being released. They were in between record deals wondering if they’d ever be able to make music again. When they wrote the song, they thought about the possibility of never getting the chance to release it. Luckily for them, the song was released and ended up being their most successful song to date. For the very last chorus, Maddie & Tae asked the crowd if we would sing it as loud as we could without the music playing. The audience delivered tenfold, and it was electrifying. I did not see a single person who wasn’t belting, aside from Maddie & Tae who wanted to soak up that moment.

I had such a lovely evening attending the Here’s to Friends Tour. I highly recommend catching a show if you are able. Do yourself a favor and also set reminders to check out Anna Vaus’s single, “Happy Trails,” on September 20th as well as Maddie & Tae’s new EP, What a Woman Can Do, on September 13th. A gallery of photos from the show is below!