With classes fully back in session, Max Frost gave fans a carefree night of good vibes and great music with his stellar performance at Iowa State’s Maintenance Shop. 

The Texas-born musician, best known for his song, “Good Morning,” combines musical stylings such as pop, folk and even R&B to craft a show where all audience members will hear something they enjoy.

Preceding Frost’s performance was a set by Des Moines-based band Karen Meat. The band’s nontraditional and creative lyrics such as, “I would like to take you on a date, but I’m too poor,” captivated the audience along with their stimulating sound, dynamics and even matching outfits.

Their most unique feature is not in the music itself, however, but rather in their unparalleled stage presence. From acting out the lyrics to climbing upon one another in the audience, there was never a boring or predictable moment for viewers.

Following Karen Meat’s act, the audience was able to see a wide variety of instruments, including two mic stands, two guitars, a bass, a piano and a drum set. Perhaps the most major part of the stage setup was Frost’s unprecedented playback machine, which looked as if it came straight from a spaceship. Upon seeing these unique instruments, one could easily expect Frost to have a big band with him, only to find out that he plays everything by himself.

Using a loop station, Frost is able to act as his own band while still focusing on his first-class dance moves, high-fiving audience members, and even jumping off his drum set. At different points throughout the set, he would even have both a bass and guitar strapped on, simultaneously singing and playing the drums. 

The “White Lies” singer shined in the area of crowd involvement and interaction, with viewers always singing along, clapping to the beat and of course dancing to Frost’s eclectic sound. Throughout the full house, it would be impossible to find someone standing still for too long. 

In addition to his outstanding music, Frost entertained viewers through jokes, one of which included getting everyone in on a social media prank involving the audience booing him after a song. 

Mixing and transitioning between genres of pop, rap, blues, R&B and rock, Frost created the ultimate dance party on campus for a group of diverse listeners of all ages, including a young viewer Frost asked to cover her ears when he said something bad.

With Frost’s performances of hits like “White Lies,” “Paranoia” and “Money Problems,” there was truly no other place in Ames to rival the chill vibes experienced by the audience. 

Frost closed the night with his hit song, “Good Morning,” dancing with and around the audience and creating the perfect moment that anyone would want to record and post online. Ending the show, he told the audience that it was “the best show of the tour, I’m not lying,” and expressed hopes to come back soon. With almost an hour and a half of performing, Frost led one of the most entertaining and fun parties that will leave audience members anxiously waiting to experience it again in the future.

While the show may be over, you can listen to his latest album, “Gold Rush,” on most major platforms.

Future acts coming to the Maintenance Shop include hip-hop supergroup Junkyard Samurai and indie-pop artist Oston.