Two nights ago, I was able to head over to Webster Hall for the first time to catch a set from one of the bigger buzz artists of the moment, Marina & The Diamonds. As I have only been a New Yorker for the past six days, the show had a ceremony-feel to it— almost as if Marina, who is in no way of New York descent, was inducting me into the concrete jungle with the night’s moving performance.
Marina graced the stage for the first time that evening with the pace of a star, dressed in a long, tight black velvet dress that was whimsically accessorized with a black cape and peace sign glasses. The hip (but talented), young band broke into “The Outsider”, and Marina began to cover all corners of the stage with the exuberance of a performer is genuinely passionate about her craft. Marina almost seemed like two different people on stage that could co-exist in one entity, her slow sexy vamp also transitioning abruptly into aggressive fist pumps and claps, and her cold, dark tone transforming into an entrancing, operatic coo. As a performer, Marina is naturally different: her passion for her art fuels her every dance move and her every vocal change. It’s pop music coming from a real place.
24 year-old Marina put an effort into variance. She may not be working on the budget of Lady Gaga, but she is arguably working on a similar amount of effort. For “I’m Not A Robot”, Marina held two glow in the dark hearts as she flaunted her bright pink, glow in the dark nails and lipstick. During “Hollywood”, Marina hilariously held two fake cheeseburgers as she donned a varsity jacket, nightgown, and dollar sign spectacles. Putting away the enjoyably cutesy props for a moment, Marina stripped down (just her and a piano) and proved her talent for any non-believers in the packed venue, playing a beautifully intense version of “Obsessions.”
Marina was delightfully appreciative of the New York crowd, telling them they were special and professing her love for them as she sipped her drink. “After the third song, I just let myself go!” She charmingly remarked. Marina ended her set with an energetic and motivational “Are You Satisfied?” as the crowd sang along to every word. Marina has an already substantial fan base, and much of the crowd sang along to her set throughout the night.
For her encore, Marina (accompanied by a bass and piano) played a chillingly awesome version of 30h3!’s hit “Starstrukk”, turning Katy Perry’s feature on the track into an entirely new piece. To me, this was the greatest moment of the night, as it proved a couple things: 1) That Marina has the ability to make such a bone-headed sounding radio hit into a dark and meaningful song 2) That Marina can not only sing her own material with ease, but other peoples as well. Marina then ended the night with one of her more popular tracks, “Mowgli’s Song”, further solidifying her talent and promise for big things in the future. All in all it was a good night, and I thank Marina for officially welcoming me to New York City.
VIDEO: Marina And The Diamonds – Numb (Live @ Webster Hall )
VIDEO: Marina & The Diamonds- Guilty (Live At Webster Hall)
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[...] played my unofficial “Welcome To New York” party last week at Webster Hall (check out my review here), it only felt right to be heading over to the Atlantic Records HQ to meet the Welsh/Greek singer. [...]
[...] there is a great live review of the Marina And The Diamonds show at Webster Hall on URB. Here is a little preview of what they had to say: 24 year-old Marina put an effort into variance. [...]