Marina and the Diamonds: Be Still Your Cartoon Heart

Marina and the Diamonds w/ Christine and the Queens
Paramount Theatre, Seattle, WA
10.25.15

Onesie? Bodysuit? Unitard? Whatever you want to call it, Marina and the Diamonds will show you how to rock it. On a stage carpeted in what appeared to be metallic violet Astroturf, Marina Diamandis broke all our little cartoon hearts. The Paramount was alive with color and glitter, girls in bright monochromatic getups, guys with tiny hearts drawn on the apples of their cheeks. And then there was Marina.

Touring with a full band in support of her third full length album Froot – released earlier this spring – the Welsh singer-songwriter had an air of sultry confidence. Her live show was broken up into three acts, based on her three albums, with costume changes at each, that is, from one metallic unitard to another. Albeit, she sure knows how to wear one. With her sparkly cherry headgear, a pop of her hip and a flip of her long dark hair, Marina’s mesmerizing performance is one that lands her squarely on the #WCW charts.

But don’t let her over-the-top outfits and sex-kitten prancing fool you. Her voice is also one capable of sincerity and darkness. For “Obsessions” she brought out a keyboard and sang solo without the band, and on “Lies” she gets very pop-drama-queen a la Lana Del Rey with a bit of a whimper and a whole lot of soul. She didn’t so much dance as she did prance, but it didn’t matter. She both sounded and looked great doing it.

Diamandis’ live show is entirely self-aware and yet you feel like you’re watching a mega-star dream. Her songs are revealing and at the same time instantly catchy, with the entire crowd jumping and waving their arms and singing entire tracks right along with her. She is both bubblegum pop – and irresistibly unapologetic about it – and a tizzy of vulnerability. And she puts on a damn good show full of lights, visuals, and fantastic sound. Plus, she had scratch-and-sniff cherry tees at the merch table. Stop trying to resist and indulge in a show, but get in quick because she’s definitely selling ‘em out.

Best surprise of the night? Straight-from-Paris opener Christine and The Queens (are we sensing a naming convention?) whose powerhouse French “freakpop” was a perfect teaser for the night. A musical project from the imagination of artist Héloïse Letissier, songs like “iT” and its blatant war cry of “I’m a man now” butt up against the not-so-subtle mashup of Christophe’s “Les Paradis Perdus” with Kanye West’s “Heartless” on “Paradis perdus.”

She has amazing dancers on stage, but her own moves are just as impressive, harkening to the king of pop Michael Jackson himself, while her gorgeous synthy soundscapes and quick beats carve an impeccable backdrop for a melodic, gravelly voice. Plus she’s collaborated with Perfume Genius guys. Her self-titled U.S. debut is out now – go listen and find a show here.

Marina & The Diamonds Set List
Act I: The Family Jewels
Mowgli’s Road
I Am Not a Robot
Oh No!
Obsessions
Hollywood
Act II: Electra Heart
Bubblegum Bitch
Radioactive
How to Be a Heartbreaker
Primadonna
Lies
Act II: Froot
Froot
Savages
Can’t Pin Me Down
I’m a Ruin
Forget
Immortal
Encore
Happy
Blue