by Hannah Pena
A hot summer’s day, mixed with some light rain, didn’t stop fans from lining up early for The Marías at the beautiful Tabernacle. The alternative indie band consists of Edward (piano), Joshua (drums), Jesse (guitar), and María (lead singer). After releasing their album, Submarine, fans could not wait to hear the album in full. Night one out of two sold-out shows, these performances are held near and dear to María, as she grew up in Atlanta and her parents were in the crowd. The concert was filled with a white circle that showcased María’s silhouette, projecting lighting and the angelic voice of María joined by their adoring fans.
To get the night started, Los Angeles rock band, Automatic, played some tracks from their new album Excess. Red strobe lighting took over the venue, and the crowd was tapping along with their fun set. Some tracks included, “Skyscraper,” “Venus Hour,” and “Automaton.” The all-girl trio band encapsulated us with their catchy drums, hypnotic synths, and memorable bass lines. It was a great way to get the crowd moving, and excited for the Marías.
Half an hour later, the stage revealed a blue circle, and the crowd entered the Submarine tour. María appeared inside the blue circle and was surrounded by the soft fog machine. The opening song was “Hamptons,” a dreamy and poetic beginning. She wore a white slip dress, a silver star necklace, and black combat boots. When she danced around the dress mirrored soft waves, which was a strong theme around this tour. María’s angelic voice filled the 2,600-capacity venue with everyone singing along from the first note. Not a frown in sight, blue lighting faded into orange, and “Run Your Mouth,” began. Fans kept getting louder and louder with each song. Before the third song, María took the time to thank everyone for coming, and everyone welcomed her back with open arms and bright smiles.
The set design was unlike any other. During “Only In My Dreams,” the Puerto Rican singer sat on a small spinning circle and enjoyed herself. Stepping down from the set, they went “Little By Little.” When she sang in Spanish, everyone was in a trance and could not turn away. The Marías did a wonderful job with the transition of songs. With the help of soft synths and pianos, the most memorable change was going from “Ruthless,” a calming track filled with a catchy trumpet solo, into an excellent cover of “Lovefool” and then back down to earth for “Care For You.” Towards the end of the show, the white circle projected pink and red sun rays, and it fit well with the delicate voice of María. Because this was her hometown show, María played “Sienna,” her mom’s favorite song. It was the first time they played it on this tour, and it was a highlight of the show.
This tour showcases how important making this album for The Marías is. Throughout the night everyone was singing and dancing along with the band. The connection that they have with their fans does not go unnoticed. María was going from every inch of the stage to sing with her fans. It was a beautiful night and I’m sure María will always remember these two shows forever.
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