Did you hear it? Why Knoxville native Briston Maroney cut his hometown concert short
“Free Bird” or “Play ‘Rose’”? Either way, a fan (or fans) shouting was enough for Knoxville native Briston Maroney to walk off stage early during a hometown concert at The Mill & Mine.
A viral TikTok video showing the awkward ending to the Feb. 17 concert in downtown Knoxville had garnered more than 22,000 likes by the morning of Feb. 21. Text on the video suggested the departure was due to someone yelling “Free Bird,” a cliché request for the 1973 Lynyrd Skynyrd song known for its complicated guitar solo.
Another video posted by the same user provided more context about what was an evening full of heckling that included shouting during the slow parts of songs.
“There are places where you can’t just walk in and scream whatever,” Maroney said from the stage in the original post. “I know it’s coming from a place of love. We’re all having fun. It’s a concert. But like, some people don’t have the luxury of just screaming whatever the (expletive) is on their mind, OK? So, consider that, bro.”
The response was met with cheers from the crowd, as Maroney acknowledged he grew up in Knoxville “around a lot of people who made a lot of other people feel small.”
“It’s weird to come back as an adult and have a little more perspective on it all, so I don’t know. Just consider the power of your voice,” he said before telling the crowd “goodnight” and walking off stage.
Was a Briston Maroney song request the last straw at Knoxville concert?
In a concert review by University of Tennessee at Knoxville’s student newspaper, The Daily Beacon, contributor Faith Darrow wrote the abrupt ending came after a fan repeatedly shouted “Play ‘Rose,’” the song Maroney was already beginning to play.
Setlist.fm, a fan-drive website for documenting what's played at concerts, shows "Rose" is typically the last song Maroney performs unless fans call for an encore.
A timeline of Knoxville native Briston Maroney's music career
Following the release of his second studio album, Maroney was part of Knox News’ story about artists who put Knoxville music on the map in 2023. Though he moved to Nashville to grow his career – and then to Los Angeles, according to his Instagram – Knoxville is where it all started for the indie singer-songwriter.
From busking on Market Square to playing bluegrass with Subtle Clutch to successfully auditioning for the 2014 season of “American Idol,” the 26-year-old had a music career in the works before his recent wave of success.
His top song on Spotify, "Freakin' Out On the Interstate," has earned more than 209 million streams. The song was released on his 2018 "Carnival" EP − the same EP featuring "Rose" − three years before his debut album, "Sunflower."
“Driving up and down Northshore (Drive) was what I would do to get away from my problems,” Maroney told Knox News in 2021 while discussing “Sunflower.” “That's where I was really developing a lot of connections to the sounds we used on the record.”
Maroney also discussed the album and how COVID-19 affected his career trajectory in a 2021 episode of “The Scruffy Stuff,” a weekly award-winning podcast by Knox News.
Maroney went on to play Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival in 2022. That same year, he started “Paradise,” a multiday music festival at Nashville’s Brooklyn Bowl. The second iteration was held in 2023 with an extra third night of entertainment.
Ryan Wilusz is a downtown growth and development reporter. Phone 865-317-5138. Email ryan.wilusz@knoxnews.com. Instagram @knoxscruff.
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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Briston Maroney Knoxville concert cut short as singer walks off stage
