Concert Review: MARINA in Chicago

In the middle of her set, Marina stops to let us know that Chicago is always a special time for her. Not only are Chicago crowds particularly receptive, but she also adds, “I actually have family connections here!” Turns out that her father came to work in the city at age 21. He ultimately used his Chicago earnings to pay for school back in Greece, and eventually, this set Mr. Diamandis on the path to meet Marina's mother. An anecdote like this is a great moment to get some cheers out of the crowd, but for a long-time fan like myself, knowing Chicago is more than just another tour stop made the rest of the night even grander than it already was. Luckily for me, the serendipity didn't stop there.

Mariana’s debut, The Family Jewels, was as much about fame as it was her father, and the record turned 12 years old on the very date of the show—February 15. As she first sat down at the piano, Marina acknowledged the anniversary of the record, as well as the fact that she often cringes at songs from it. Thanks to TikTok, however, songs like “Are You Satisfied” have gained a new wind in the past year, and the song has been added back to her setlist. Other newly-viral songs like “Oh No!” and “Hollywood,” also make an appearance throughout the show.

But the tour bears the name of her latest record, Ancient Dreams in a Modern Land, so Marina opens the show with the first two tracks off this latest release. The title track and “Venus Fly Trap” have empowering-enough lyrics, but the live band adds an accelerating layer to them. Songs like “Purge the Poison” and “Man’s World” fit perfectly with Marina’s striking Married to the Mob look. “Highly Emotional People” is an especially heartfelt life. This latest collection of songs is just as witty, socially aware, and thoughtful as her first output, but it is extra beautiful to hear live Marina’s evolution beyond self-deprecation. There is minimal formal choreography besides some rehearsed gestures and poses, but Marina’s power as a performer is more evident than ever.

Here is a video of “Froot”s intro—the literal only video I’m willing to share since it doesn’t include my off-key singing/shrieking (which is a sign I was having the time of life)

Indeed, while Marina brings banger after banger, there is still something quite noticeably different from this tour, and it is the clear lack of theatrics this time around. Electra Heart brought 60’s marriage melodrama to the stage, Froot showcased huge neon screens and superhero latex, and Love + Fear welcomed a crew of backup dancers. Meanwhile, Ancient Dreams has Marina backed only by some sporadic visuals projected on huge drapes. A live band is back but with new members, and only one backup of her backup performers—Kayla Starr—remains with less choreography. Quite notably, Marina stays in the same outfit the entire show, never leaving the stage except for the faux exit before the encore. It is a departure from her standard popstar show of multiple acts, but it is all the more MARINA than ever. Seeing descriptions or photos of the tour’s first shows, it is hard to not see this decreased production as a negative (especially when you’re paying good money) but Marina does a great enough job of putting on a worthwhile show. The second the lights go down and the band kicks up, each minute felt as grand as any other show I’d seen before.

For all the fun had, let’s not gloss over the fact that you still had to present your vaccination card at the door, and the VIP bag came with a mask bedazzled in MARINA!. I felt adequately comfortable to attend knowing that Marina’s fanbase would be more attentive to masking guidelines than other possible concert gatherings, but there is still an assumed risk when attending a large gathering during this era of concerts. Of my few glances away from Marina, it seemed a good 10% of masks came off during the show, so I didn’t feel comfortable doing so myself. Surprisingly, Marina did do a swift run-through into an aisle during the middle of the show, but overall, there was still a definite lack of hand touching and close-up interaction with the crowd than in other concerts. I opted to not wait out in the cold after the show in hopes of saying hello, as I knew she wouldn’t be able to be any closer or interact with us than she did in the show. Nevertheless, I would rather attend a masked show and get slightly less interaction than have the tour canceled due to a fan giving Marina COVID. I was certainly afraid that she’d get sick before my show.

When I saw Marina in Nashville during the 2019 Love + Fear tour, I was enamored seeing her live for the first time, even though the various backup dancers and synthetic instrumentals felt oddly non-Marina. That was at a time after Marina returned from a hiatus and dropped “the Diamonds” from her stage name. This time around—a pandemic, breakup, and a new album later—Marina has put together a show that undeniably showcases all layers of herself. The set ebbs and flows between renewed hits and fresh classics with Marina holding it all together.

Before the show started, one of the security guards asked a group of girls near me, “Has she won any Grammys?” Unfortunately, Marina has zero Grammys, but later in the night, when the sold-out theater sang along to the ballad “Happy,” I was gently reminded why she continues to sell out venues with little to no mainstream backing. Songwriting is at the heart of Marina’s artistry and it shines through song after song. To that end, “Goodbye” closes out both the new record and the show. “I’ve been a mother to everyone else, to every motherf*cker, except myself,” she coyly sings (and we screamed out with her). Even though it’s clear she’s singing about the end of a relationship throughout the track, hearing it live after an unforgettable show helped remind me of the woman whose words I was listening to. Marina is certainly an inspiration, idol, and even mother figure to so many that filled The Chicago Theater on February 15, 2022, but 12 years after singing, “I can’t open up and cry, ‘cause I’ve been silent all my life,” it’s clear to me that Marina is finally doing things simply for the love of herself and her inner peace–and no one else.