Cherry headbands and pink spandex
It was a Friday night. My feet were throbbing. My knees were buckling. My ears were ringing.
It was awesome.
Anyone who has been to a concert probably knows this feeling. Add in the overwhelming, out-of-body sensation that comes with seeing an artist you obsessively worship, and you have a recipe for one of the best nights ever.
This is how I felt when I saw Marina and the Diamonds on Friday, Oct. 16 at the Marquee Theatre in Tempe, Arizona as part of her Neon Nature tour. Marina has a special place in my musical heart (right next to the Jonas Brothers, what up) because each of her albums correlates to an era in my life.
The upbeat, princess pop of Electra Heart reminds me of my high school years during which I loved Starbucks frappuccinos and dyeing my hair. (I think the only reason I make this association is because the day I got the Electra Heart CD, I had just come from a hair appointment with a full Starbucks in hand and proceeded to be engulfed by the album with my freshly brunette hair and my frothy coffee drink. Hence, the lifelong association. That makes sense, right?)
I discovered The Family Jewels album over one summer and proceeded to listen to it pretty much every day until that August (years after it first came out, because obviously I was so behind on the times).
Finally, Froot was the anthem of my first spring semester at college, and is still my go-to album when I need some motivating jams at the gym or simply don't know what else to listen to.
Marina is the type of artist whose whole image you come to love -- I don't just love her music, I love her style, her clever and often humorous lyrics, and her badass outspokenness on feminism. So this wasn't just a concert about hearing music - it was about seeing an icon (which, in my obsessive-stalker-fan mind, is pretty much the main reason for going to any concert).
Now, I tend to prefer giant stadium concerts over smaller, more intimate venues. This is probably because I've been jaded by epic arena shows -- for example, Justin Bieber's Believe tour in which the Biebs kicked off the show by propelling via massive angel wings, and fireworks shot out from every nook and cranny of the stage. I'm a pretty avid fan of theatrics, so when it comes to concerts, bigger is better, in my opinion. Besides, there's the whole cramping and shoving that comes with the general-admission status of most shows at smaller venues.
But it was Marina and the Diamonds, so I was willing to make some sacrifices.
Cut to Friday night, when my roommate Madison and I trekked to the Marquee in Tempe to stand in the presence of our queen. (That's a bit overdramatic, but pretty accurate. Take it or leave it.)
After opening act Shamir, whose gorgeous voice and beat-thumping disco-infused music really got the crowd dancing, I was intensely impatient for Marina's entrance. Maybe because we had already been standing for an hour and a half, our Marina t-shirts ($30) tightly tied to our purses and our "Froot" wristbands ($10) on our wrists (I was an absolute slave to the merchandise stand at this concert), or maybe because I had been looking forward to this concert since buying tickets in the summer, but I was ready.
Finally, the concert began. This was when we had to endure a lot of cramped shoving in the crowd, and my calves were getting a major workout from standing on my very tip-toes to maximize my view. I knew this situation was not going to work - we were semi-close to the front, but it seemed like the people in front of us were exceptionally tall. Unfortunately, this obscured my view of the beginning moments of the concert, but I refused to let this get me down. My idol was standing (more like strutting around in a metallic bodysuit, according to brief glimpses) right in front of me, and I could hear her voice, and finally hear live the music that had dominated my iPod for years.
She opened with "Mowgli's Road," a vintage Marina song I actually had to look up before the show. (Obviously I looked up the setlist beforehand, an act I try to avoid before concerts yet I always find myself giving in to. My logic in this is based on the fact that my fangirl heart is already so overloaded at concerts; any more surprises might just be the nail in my coffin.) The "Neon Nature" tour is divided into three parts -- which I found through my intensive stalking of Marina and my pre-concert research -- one for each of her albums.
How perfect, right?
After a few songs of the first set (the Family Jewels portion, naturally), I decided to take a risk and try my hand and getting us to a better spot. Madison and I made our way to the left side of the stage. Ahh, much better. There were still a few people in front of us, but much less, and even though our view was angled, I could finally see without forcing my calves to do the job of their lives.
Shortly after this successful move, Marina's exit and a changing of the lights shifted the entire vibe of the venue. Could it be? It was time for the next portion of the show...
Electra Heart.
My favorite.
The vulgar and bubbly "Bubblegum Bitch" (only Marina can pull off this combo) kicked off this portion, promising to take the audience on a wild ride, simultaneously rock 'n' roll and princess pop.
This promise was fulfilled with performances of "Primadonna" (the cocky diva anthem which I believe was the first Marina song I ever heard, sparking my obsession), "How To Be a Heartbreaker" (a catchy tune of ruthless rules) and more.
Despite my inclination toward Electra Heart, I was practically exploding in anticipation of the Froot portion of the show. As Marina's most recent album, and the inspiration behind so many fruit-inspired pieces adorning the audience (I spotted a pineapple bracelet on one concertgoer, a headband adorned with a pair of cherries as large as a toaster on several), it was clear that tonight, Froot was the name of the game.
After another dramatic and colorful intro, the album's main single "Froot" began blasting through the venue. For the first time, Marina performed from the top part of the stage, elevated from where she had been before, a subtle indicator that this was the climax of the show. In a way, it felt like the show was really beginning.
Before I knew about the three-sections thing, and the fact that it was going to be in chronological order, I thought "Froot" would be a no-brainer for a show opener, with its catchy beat and lyrics that are so metaphoric and innuendo-laden they're mildly disturbing. But after experiencing the show firsthand, I see why doing a comprehensive performance that includes songs from every album (in order) was a good move. The way I see it, this tour isn't to promote Froot. It's to celebrate the music of Marina and the Diamonds and to give fans exactly what they want, especially those that have been there since the beginning, with The Family Jewels.
Following "Froot" was "Savages," a song so dark and condemning of the world we live in today it gives me goosebumps. And after that turbulent emotional ride came "Can't Pin Me Down," a catchy ode to flipping the middle finger to expectations and the source of this relevant lyric: "All these contradictions pouring out of me, just another girl in the 21st century."
This sequence ("Froot," "Savages," "Can't Put Me Down") is what I refer to as the holy trinity of the night. As three major stand-out tracks from Froot, this was when I seriously started to question my ability to go on living a normal life after this show. Would I have to retreat into hiding, reflecting on the concert and trying to fathom the beauty I had experienced? (A less dramatic version of this thinking would be, "Will I be able to talk tomorrow after all this shout-screaming I'm doing?") The only other song that (almost) gave me this same level of excitement was "Blue," the latest Marina single that is by far one of my favorites, which she closed the show with.
I know what you're thinking - did she forget the fashion? Is this chick so obsessed with Marina she didn't even pay attention to the stage outfits? Of course not, concerned reader! How does a bubblegum pink bodysuit complete with a cape and heart cutouts on the thighs sound to you? If you're thinking, hey, that sounds pretty awesome, then you might want to purchase some tickets to the Neon Nature tour. (Take a wild guess which portion of the show that heart-embellished outfit made an appearance during?)
Also present was a cobalt blue one-piece so sparkly it never stops glittering in the videos I shakily filmed, accessorized with a matching cherry headpiece (pretty much identical to the one spotted on audience members). I wasn't close enough to actually identify the materials of these costumes (so quirky, so colorful, so perfectly Marina), but I imagine spandex and latex played pretty large roles.
Overall, it was an awesome, sparkly, fruity show. Why expect anything less from Marina and the Diamonds?
It was awesome.
Anyone who has been to a concert probably knows this feeling. Add in the overwhelming, out-of-body sensation that comes with seeing an artist you obsessively worship, and you have a recipe for one of the best nights ever.
This is how I felt when I saw Marina and the Diamonds on Friday, Oct. 16 at the Marquee Theatre in Tempe, Arizona as part of her Neon Nature tour. Marina has a special place in my musical heart (right next to the Jonas Brothers, what up) because each of her albums correlates to an era in my life.
The upbeat, princess pop of Electra Heart reminds me of my high school years during which I loved Starbucks frappuccinos and dyeing my hair. (I think the only reason I make this association is because the day I got the Electra Heart CD, I had just come from a hair appointment with a full Starbucks in hand and proceeded to be engulfed by the album with my freshly brunette hair and my frothy coffee drink. Hence, the lifelong association. That makes sense, right?)
I discovered The Family Jewels album over one summer and proceeded to listen to it pretty much every day until that August (years after it first came out, because obviously I was so behind on the times).
Finally, Froot was the anthem of my first spring semester at college, and is still my go-to album when I need some motivating jams at the gym or simply don't know what else to listen to.
Marina is the type of artist whose whole image you come to love -- I don't just love her music, I love her style, her clever and often humorous lyrics, and her badass outspokenness on feminism. So this wasn't just a concert about hearing music - it was about seeing an icon (which, in my obsessive-stalker-fan mind, is pretty much the main reason for going to any concert).
Now, I tend to prefer giant stadium concerts over smaller, more intimate venues. This is probably because I've been jaded by epic arena shows -- for example, Justin Bieber's Believe tour in which the Biebs kicked off the show by propelling via massive angel wings, and fireworks shot out from every nook and cranny of the stage. I'm a pretty avid fan of theatrics, so when it comes to concerts, bigger is better, in my opinion. Besides, there's the whole cramping and shoving that comes with the general-admission status of most shows at smaller venues.
But it was Marina and the Diamonds, so I was willing to make some sacrifices.
Cut to Friday night, when my roommate Madison and I trekked to the Marquee in Tempe to stand in the presence of our queen. (That's a bit overdramatic, but pretty accurate. Take it or leave it.)
After opening act Shamir, whose gorgeous voice and beat-thumping disco-infused music really got the crowd dancing, I was intensely impatient for Marina's entrance. Maybe because we had already been standing for an hour and a half, our Marina t-shirts ($30) tightly tied to our purses and our "Froot" wristbands ($10) on our wrists (I was an absolute slave to the merchandise stand at this concert), or maybe because I had been looking forward to this concert since buying tickets in the summer, but I was ready.
Finally, the concert began. This was when we had to endure a lot of cramped shoving in the crowd, and my calves were getting a major workout from standing on my very tip-toes to maximize my view. I knew this situation was not going to work - we were semi-close to the front, but it seemed like the people in front of us were exceptionally tall. Unfortunately, this obscured my view of the beginning moments of the concert, but I refused to let this get me down. My idol was standing (more like strutting around in a metallic bodysuit, according to brief glimpses) right in front of me, and I could hear her voice, and finally hear live the music that had dominated my iPod for years. She opened with "Mowgli's Road," a vintage Marina song I actually had to look up before the show. (Obviously I looked up the setlist beforehand, an act I try to avoid before concerts yet I always find myself giving in to. My logic in this is based on the fact that my fangirl heart is already so overloaded at concerts; any more surprises might just be the nail in my coffin.) The "Neon Nature" tour is divided into three parts -- which I found through my intensive stalking of Marina and my pre-concert research -- one for each of her albums.
How perfect, right?
After a few songs of the first set (the Family Jewels portion, naturally), I decided to take a risk and try my hand and getting us to a better spot. Madison and I made our way to the left side of the stage. Ahh, much better. There were still a few people in front of us, but much less, and even though our view was angled, I could finally see without forcing my calves to do the job of their lives.
Shortly after this successful move, Marina's exit and a changing of the lights shifted the entire vibe of the venue. Could it be? It was time for the next portion of the show...
My favorite.
The vulgar and bubbly "Bubblegum Bitch" (only Marina can pull off this combo) kicked off this portion, promising to take the audience on a wild ride, simultaneously rock 'n' roll and princess pop.
This promise was fulfilled with performances of "Primadonna" (the cocky diva anthem which I believe was the first Marina song I ever heard, sparking my obsession), "How To Be a Heartbreaker" (a catchy tune of ruthless rules) and more.
Despite my inclination toward Electra Heart, I was practically exploding in anticipation of the Froot portion of the show. As Marina's most recent album, and the inspiration behind so many fruit-inspired pieces adorning the audience (I spotted a pineapple bracelet on one concertgoer, a headband adorned with a pair of cherries as large as a toaster on several), it was clear that tonight, Froot was the name of the game.
After another dramatic and colorful intro, the album's main single "Froot" began blasting through the venue. For the first time, Marina performed from the top part of the stage, elevated from where she had been before, a subtle indicator that this was the climax of the show. In a way, it felt like the show was really beginning.
 |
| Froo-oo-oot! |
Following "Froot" was "Savages," a song so dark and condemning of the world we live in today it gives me goosebumps. And after that turbulent emotional ride came "Can't Pin Me Down," a catchy ode to flipping the middle finger to expectations and the source of this relevant lyric: "All these contradictions pouring out of me, just another girl in the 21st century."
This sequence ("Froot," "Savages," "Can't Put Me Down") is what I refer to as the holy trinity of the night. As three major stand-out tracks from Froot, this was when I seriously started to question my ability to go on living a normal life after this show. Would I have to retreat into hiding, reflecting on the concert and trying to fathom the beauty I had experienced? (A less dramatic version of this thinking would be, "Will I be able to talk tomorrow after all this shout-screaming I'm doing?") The only other song that (almost) gave me this same level of excitement was "Blue," the latest Marina single that is by far one of my favorites, which she closed the show with.
Also present was a cobalt blue one-piece so sparkly it never stops glittering in the videos I shakily filmed, accessorized with a matching cherry headpiece (pretty much identical to the one spotted on audience members). I wasn't close enough to actually identify the materials of these costumes (so quirky, so colorful, so perfectly Marina), but I imagine spandex and latex played pretty large roles.
Overall, it was an awesome, sparkly, fruity show. Why expect anything less from Marina and the Diamonds?
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