MARINA Completes ‘PRINCESS OF POWER’ Quest at Boston’s Roadrunner
The electro pop princess Marina Diamandis, better known mononymously as simply MARINA, came to Boston’s Roadrunner to celebrate her newest album PRINCESS OF POWER on Sunday, September 21. Excited fans joined a queue nearly long enough to encircle the building before the show, and many were dressed to impress in costumes reminiscent of specific eras of MARINA.
The show began with Mallrat, aka Grace Shaw, and she was received warmly by the large crowd that had already gathered in the sold-out concert hall. The Australian pop singer-songwriter’s opening set featured downtempo, bass-forward beats backing her airy vocals in songs like “Pavement,” “Hocus Pocus,” and even a Lana Del Rey cover of “Radio.”
Where Mallrat’s opening set had been fairly low-key both in its dimmed lighting and chill vibe, MARINA’s headline set was bold and bright. Her arrival was heralded by retro video game style visuals and a narrated introduction that established the theme of the show: a quest of self-realization, “riddled with corrupted lovers, digital fantasies, and shadow selves.” This quest was made manifest in the setlist with songs ordered into “levels,” and progress was visually indicated throughout the evening.
MARINA made her way to center stage with a flourish that triggered a tidal wave of cheers and applause. She began with the title track to PRINCESS OF POWER and fans instantly joined her in singing along loudly. That high baseline enthusiasm remained impressively consistent throughout the show as diehard fans enjoyed a variety of songs both new and old. Fittingly, PRINCESS OF POWER was nearly performed in its entirety, but almost half of the setlist included songs from across The Family Jewels, Electra Heart, Froot, and Ancient Dreams In A Modern Land. True classics like “I Am Not A Robot,” “Primadonna,” and “Froot” in particular elicited wild screams of approval, but new favorites like the iconic “CUNTISSIMO” also received undeniably hyped reaction even from the first few notes. It would be easier to point out which lyrics the crowd did not know, as MARINA sang accompanied by the audience throughout the entire show. That said, her incredible vocals were unmatched as they cut through everything else with ease.
There was something of a side quest towards the end of the concert. Even among the countless fans who arrived in inspired style, there were several who went above and beyond with their outfits. These brave lucky few were invited on stage to dance out the end of “CUNTISSIMO” and remained in the spotlight for the chance to be deemed winner of the POP pageant. Ultimately, the crowd cast the tiebreaking vote to crown “Cupid’s Girl” over the “Prince-YASS of Power.”
The adventure ended on a high note with a strong selection of closers, “FINAL BOSS,” “ROLLERCOASTER,” “Primadonna,” and “I <3 YOU.” When the show ended and the house lights turned on to signal everyone to leave, the crowd was slow to leave as fans lingered to savor the euphoria. MARINA may have completed her PRINCESS OF POWER quest and moved on from Boston for now, but if the undeniably passionate fans have any say in the longevity of her career, it’s far from game over.
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