And so the obsession continues… Marina & The Diamonds is back with her electrifying sophomore album, Electra Heart. I was fortunate to catch her twice in two days. The first time at Google for a YouTube Presents live stream. Set before an intimate crowd of fans and Google employees, Marina performed five new songs: “Starring Role,” “Power and Control,” “Primadonna,” “Lies” and “How to be a Heartbreaker,” a new song only found on her U.S. album release.
Charming and kitschy as ever, Marina shared with the ditsy interviewer that her style for the record is inspired by vintage motels. Ok. Still, I love her unique voice and she has a penchant for writing great hooks. This time, her album is about love.
The next night was the first of two sold out shows at Webster Hall. I got there late so I was regretfully in the back, but I still had fun. She opened with “Homewrecker” and moved into older material with “Oh No!” and “Mowgli’s Road.” Highlights of the show included favorites off the old album: “I Am Not A Robot,” “Obsessions” and “Shampain” and new favorites “The State of Dreaming,” “Hypocrates” and “Teen Idle.” But my absolute favorite performances were “Radioactive,” a between-albums release from last Fall and the aforementioned “How to be a Heartbreaker.” If there’s something I have learned, “wear your heart on your cheek, not on your sleeve.”
Thank you, John Valentine Grande Pike. You know who you are. Inside the MAC cosmetics store in SoHo on Fashion’s Night Out, I was lucky to stand at the corner of a small stage while hot male models continuously refilled my champagne glass and see one of my favorite artists perform, Gossip’s feisty and fabulous frontwoman Beth Ditto. The plus-size delicious diva appeared in a form-fitting rainbow dress, razored bob and bangs and bold MAC make-up and performed two of the four pop gems found on her 2011 self-titled solo EP, “Do You Need Someone” and “I Wrote the Book.” Somewhere between the brassy brilliance of Bette Midler and the backwoods Barbie of Dolly Parton, Ditto’s brand of pop music spans the spectrum. Proof of that was her ballsy cover of Madonna’s “Vogue” and a womped-up remix of Parton’s “Jolene” mashed up with a pinch of skinny ‘n sweet ”9 to 5.”
Beth Ditto is major.
Speaking of pop gems, I spotted my beloved Marina Diamandis of Marina & The Diamonds about three feet away from me. Wearing a vintage seafoam green slip dress and ultra-soft pink cashmere sweater, Marina was adorable. I approached her after the show, tapped her shoulder and said to her, “I just wanted to let you know that you look radioactive tonight.” I got a big, “Oooohhhhhh!” and at least five hugs over the next 10 minutes literally “drinking shampain” together, talking about New York vs L.A., the fact that she has a lame phone, and her awesome new single “Radioactive” and album due in February. By the way, my eyes look radioactive in the photo above.
High on our Marina encounter, my pal Joey and I made our way over to Tammany Hall on the Lower East Side to check out emerging pop star Wynter Gordon. When we arrived we were told she would go on at 12:30 a.m., so we left to grab some dinner. Sadly, we returned at 11 and she was already performing (I curse the door girl!) so I only got to see her perform two songs, but it was worth it. She randomly covered Katy Perry’s “E.T. Extraterrestrial” and ended her set with my favorite song on her debut EP, ”Still Getting Younger.” At 40-years-old, it’s sort of become my anthem for the summer of 2011. Definitely want to keep my eye on Wynter and see her again soon.
When I found out Marina & The Diamonds would play the Stone Pony in Asbury Park, N.J., as part of her U.S. Burger Queen Tour, I had to go. First, I love seeing my favorite artists in small joints, and then there’s stepping inside the place where Bruce Springsteen, the E Street Band and Bon Jovi all got their start. Why not make a whole weekend out of it, which is what I did. I collected three fun friends, jumped in a jeep and hit the road. We stayed at an old hotel which from the outside looked like an insane asylum – it was perfect for the four of us. We found more friends from New York and converted them into Marina maniacs like us.
Gorgeous Marina took to the stage around 10:30 wearing pajamas and a crazy helmet haircut which took flight like Sally Field in the Flying Nun every time she stood in front of the fan. She revealed later that her drummer cut it the week prior. She was still rockin’ the bright pink lipstick too.
She opened with “Girls” and played most of the songs off her 2010 debut album, The Family Jewels, including “The Outsider,” Seventeen,” “Are You Satisfied?” and the seemingly misplaced “Hermit the Frog.” Over Labor Day, Marina played Wonder Bar in Asbury Park and no one knew who she was. It was good to see she got a good showing at the Stone Pony. What made it more meaningful was that her show at this venue coincided with the day legendary E Street Band saxophonist Clarence Clemons passed away. Marina gave a shout-out to the man who recently made a comeback thanks to Lady Gaga and her ‘80s-inspired summer anthem, “Edge of Glory.”
Compared to her British contemporaries, Florence, Ellie Goulding and Jessie J, she hasn’t taken off the way she expected. All three landed plum SNL showcases in the past year. Marina did not. Even brilliant gems “I Am Not a Robot” and “Oh No!” haven’t gained traction in the U.S. despite three tours and a slowly growing fan base. Marina herself admits she feels connected to the U.S. and “justwants to make it huge here, move here and spend the rest of her life touring here.” I really hope that happens and I think she’s determined to make it happen. After her headlining shows, she picks up for Robyn supporting Katy Perry on her summer tour. Perhaps that will help.
Favorite moments of the night included new songs, “Living Dead” and “Jealousy,” and the best off her debut album, “Obsessions,” “Shampain,” “Mowgli’s Road” and “Guilty.” For her encore, she returned to the keyboards with her beautiful ballad “Numb” and closed with an ode to her future home “Hollywood,” sporting a sequined Stars and Stripes get-up. While she’s obsessed with the mess that’s America, I’m obsessed with her. Drop your next record soon, Ms. Diamandis.
It hurts that I missed Hurts, the British duo you’d swear is the second coming of Tears for Fears. They got the bum time slot at 1 p.m. on Day 1 of the brilliant music festival that is Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. Even if my plane landed on time in Ontario, the five-member family in the Avis line didn’t all have to sign paperwork at a glacial pace to be drivers, and if the boxes of Cheetos had not fallen off some truck on I-10 (seriously) and cause a traffic jam, I still would have missed them. But that was my only disappointment over the long weekend and my first lesson about what Coachella is all about. Chill out, and be cool. Stressed out New York mindset: Off.
After checking in to my casita, I collected my fabulous friends at the Hollywood hipster hangout Ace Hotel in Palm Springs and made our way to the Empire Polo Field in Indio, Calif. Amazing how well the event was organized and logistically smooth given that 75,000 people descend on the grounds from all directions. We got there in time to gorge on chili cheese fries and a delicious bacon-wrapped hot dog and catch our first act, Yacht, as the sun set, featuring front woman Claire Evans who looks and sounds like the love child of Annie Lennox and the chick in Roxette. I liked them immediately.
I earned the reputation of being somewhat “obsessed” with certain acts among my friends. This was underscored when Marina & the Diamonds time slot came about, as I dragged them to the front of the Gobi tent with me. Unfortunately, team Marina had some technical issues and got started 15 minutes late, sadly cutting into her set list. Still, she managed to pull it together and while it wasn’t Marina at her best, I’m still a huge fan. I’m even planning a Jersey Shore weekend to see her perform at the Stone Pony in Asbury Park. Seriously obsessed.
She opened with “Are You Satisfied?” “Girls” and “The Outsider.” Then moved into her more mainstream hits, “I Am Not a Robot,” “Obsessions” on the keys, and “Oh No.” She ended with my favorite Marina song, “Shampain,” “Hollywood,” in which she dawned her “obsessed with the mess that’s America” sequined twosie, and her standard closer, “Mowgli’s Road.” Love you, Marina. See you in New York and New Jersey in June. Btw, I have a crush on her guitar player. So hot.
Then came the main event, at least for me. Forget Kings of Leon, it is about Robyn, who delivered a perfect performance and a put a huge stake in the desert that she’s a force to be reckoned with. So much energy, so much attitude, so much confidence. And she did it so perfectly. Such a pro, and a class act. I’m still befuddled why she’s not the biggest pop star in the world. Hooky songs like “Hang With Me,” “Dancing on My Own” and “Indestructible” are pop music gold and people don’t embrace her here.
Though the thousands who packed the Mojave tent for the Robyn experience, they were not disappointed. Appearing in her standard uniform flower print and sporting severe bangs, she opened with “Fembot,” “Cobrastyle” from her 2008 album, and an awesome mash-up of “We Dance to the Beat” and “Don’t Fucking Tell Me What To Do.” But it’s “Dancing on My Own” that most of the kids in the tent came to see. Insane how she moves, commands the stage and dances her ass off. I’m in love with Robyn. It was the fifth time I’m seen her in the last year, and it was by far her strongest performance. The woman knows a break-through opportunity when she sees one. She closed her set with “Hang With Me.” Yep, I will, R. And that was just Day 1.
I have been so excited about the return of Marina & The Diamonds to the U.S. Two themes emerged over Labor Day weekend: Turning 40 years old (a friend’s party in D.C.) and chasing Marina on the New Jersey Turnpike. I’m her starstrukk groupie for the long weekend as I saw her twice (New York and Philadelphia), but I could have easily seen her two more times (Asbury Park, N.J. and Washington, D.C.). Sufficed to say, I withheld myself before Marina put a restraining order on me.
Since her last jaunt through New York and SXSW in March, Marina has released her debut record here, The Family Jewels (buy it, it’s brilliant), but has yet to spend a lot of time in the U.S. to promote it with the exception of a few Left Coast dates over the summer.
A pretty hipster crowd filled Webster Hall. It’s cool she draws a pretty diverse fanbase. Unlike Robyn, Marina seems to still be somewhat of a secret here in the States. Webster Hall wasn’t even sold out. How is that possible? So I’m making my job to spread the Robot love to as many friends as I can. Wait, I am not a robot.
Marina’s band takes the stage and she appears wearing a beautifully fitted slinky black dress. It’s totally working for her. Not only does she have a face that the camera makes love to, but her body is ridiculous. On the wrong person, that dress could have been an unforgiving mistake. But not on Marina. Wasn’t it Bette Midler who said, “hey baby, if you got it, flaunt it?” Then she opens her mouth with the opening verse of “The Outsider.” “Feeling like a loser, feeling like a bum, sitting on the outside, observing the fun.” And just like that, I’m in love with her all over again.
Marina, with her increasingly signature bright pink lipstick and nails, covered nearly every song off The Family Jewels, including “Seventeen,” “Girls,” her latest single “Oh No!,” “Rootless” and “Are You Satisfied?” As I said the last time I saw her, she’s at her best when she gets behind the keys and sings “Numb” and “Obsessions.” It’s effortless, breathtaking and beautiful. I wisely positioned myself near the stage and off to the left to capture this Diamandis gem. I love the stars behind her and the wind blowing through her hair as she performs this song:
“I Am Not A Robot” is perhaps Marina’s most beloved song in her small catalog. It sealed the deal for me in 2009 and skyrocketed Marina to the top of my Best New Artist list. Ok, this list doesn’t really exist, but if it did, she’d be on top. If you check out her blog, you’ll see a couple of fan-made videos that reinterpret this gorgeous song. It’s about saying to yourself “stop being so ridiculous, you can’t let having a fear of failing hold you back,” as told to a reporter in her native Wales. “I’m just one person.” Clearly, the song has struck a chord with many of her fans as they all harmoniously sang along.
Other highlights included “Shampain,” the old ABBA cover which I believe will be her next single, and “Hollywood.” For the latter, Marina runs off stage and returns wearing a letterman’s jacket, big sunglasses, with two big cheeseburgers in her hands. Apparently this is Marina’s wardrobe interpretation of America. She closed her set with “Guilty.” Again caught on camera!
For her encore, she performed “Starstrukk,” a 3OH3 and Katy Perry cover. She posted a recording session of this on YouTube several months ago and has since become part of her set list in live acts. The song is so beautiful. The original is great, but it’s so upbeat you miss the heartbreak that this song is really about. “I just set them up to knock them down. I think I should know how to make love to something innocent without leaving my fingerprints out, now… L.O.V.E. is just another word I’ll never learn to pronounce.” Amazing, even more so live. She ended the night with “Mowgli’s Road.” Thanks to my friend Tanner at EW for getting me into the VIP section after the show to meet Marina. She looked at me and all I could say is “heyyyy Marina.” I told her I’d see her in Philly, and she gave me permission to be her stalker. Lovely and amazing.
It’s been over a year since I first heard Marina & The Diamonds’ “Obsessions” on YouTube, and her debut in the U.S. has been one of my most anticipated shows of 2010. So how lucky am I that I got to see her perform TWICE this week! Sunday night at the Bell House in Brooklyn, and again Monday night at Le Poisson Rouge in the West Village. Later this week, she descends on Austin, Texas, for the SXSW Festival.
Welsh-born Marina Diamandis is just 24-years-old and I’m in love her. I’m just going to put that out there! Her last name means “diamonds” from her Greek heritage, and she refers to her fans as The Diamonds, or her Jewels. Apparently it’s not her band! And Diamandis herself is so charming, so cute, and so complimentary of the New York crowd (even going as far as to say it’s better than London)! Ok, she was pandering!
At both shows, she kicked off with “Girls,” off her brand new full-length album, The Family Jewels (out in the U.K. now and in the U.S. on May 25). I just love her attitude: “I look like a girl, but I think like a guy.” Amazing. Next, she plays “Seventeen,” which isn’t on her album, but has been floating about the Internet for over a year. And then she kicked in “Oh No!” “The Outsider” and the eponymous, “I Am Not A Robot.” Big, big, big crowd pleaser.
Then she slowed things down, gave her band a break and took to the keyboards herself with the beautiful and haunting ballad, “Numb.” I was so impressed with the noticeably handsome crowd around me — both in Brooklyn and at LPR. No one was talking. It was perfectly quiet. Everyone was fixated on the gorgeous Marina who sang her face off. That’s pretty impressive to command the complete attention of a bar crowd. Next, she sang “Obsessions,” the song that started it all. At this point, I was reminded of how fortunate I am to see talent like Marina (for $12 nonetheless) before she explodes. And she will. I met a Brit named Stephanie at the Brooklyn gig and she said that when Marina returns to the U.K. after SXSW, she will have a nearly sold-out tour waiting for her. Again, impressive!
But I digress. Next up iswas the first single off her debut album, “Hollywood,” which has the most fun (and kitschy) lyrics of the set!! “Hollywood infected my brain… living in a movie scene, puking American dreams… I’m obsessed with the mess that’s America.” And you know what? She does look like Catherine Zeta (but I don’t get Shakira). I loved her Cheshire cat grin when she sang this song to her first American audiences. It’s cool, Marina. We get it. And yes, we are a mess! Thanks for noticing. Then came “Shampain,” an ABBA cover. LOVE it. So fun. And she closed with “Guilty,” and her encore, “Mowgli’s Road.”
I am no futurist, but I really, really hope Marina & The Diamonds makes it big! She’s definitely seems to be the next big thing, alongside Ellie Goulding. Her gorgeous looks, amazing body, killer vocals, delicious hooks and perfectly cute personality sum up the perfect package. I will be up front and CenterOrch every time this girl comes to town. Don’t miss her!
