It came as no surprise when The Marías show was moved from inside the shed to the larger fairgrounds at Chicago’s beloved Salt Shed this past Tuesday evening due to the overwhelming demand for tickets. The Los Angeles-based indie-pop band has vastly ascended in popularity and they do not seem like they are finished. Since the release of their 2021 Grammy-nominated debut album, CINEMA, they have collaborated with Latin superstar Bad Bunny on his track “Otro Atardecer” and have released their much-anticipated sophomore album, Submarine. Considering all of these factors; the anticipation for the Marías show was far and wide in Chicago! They are also known for performing songs in both English and Spanish, which drew in a large chunk of Chicago’s diverse and devoted Latin community for a beautiful evening of divine tunes; getting to hear lead singer María Zardoya serenade us as the cityscape shimmered in the background.
The sold-out evening was paired beautifully with the most ideal weather for an outdoor summer concert in Chicago. This was the first outdoor show the band played on their current tour, which is in support of their latest release, Submarine. The crowd grew dense rather quickly after doors opened as eager fans crowded the first few rows from the stage immediately. I was a bit worried the daylight would interfere with The Marías' lighting and stage setup but lucky for us, it’s that time of year where the days are getting shorter every day as summer is coming to a sad yet epic conclusion in Chicago. The sun was setting over the city just as the band was about to come on stage. The intro sample to their track “Hamptons” twinkled throughout the stage and soon built up to a full blown musical number with María Zardoya materializing at the center of the stage behind what looked like a massive portal where you could only see her silhouette.
I always appreciate a band’s stage setup and getting to witness their vision come to life. The Marías are no exception here. The massive circle in the center with steps leading up to it and a side platform that miraculously underlit María when she stood on it was just the cherry on top of an already flawless band. The Marías transitioned into “Run Your Mouth,” the lead single on the album that adds just the right amount of an ‘upbeat’ hazy flair. They played a pretty well-balanced set that also brought back some fan favorites from their two EPs Superclean, Vol. I and Superclean, Vol. II.
Although the entire set was stunning, the last three-song run before their encore was absolute perfection. Zardoya went into the crowd to perform a cover of Bad Bunny’s “Otro Atardecer” to the lucky fans up front. They then went into performing “Echo,” “Hush,” and concluded with my personal favorite track from Submarine, “Paranoia.” After the crowd cheered the band offstage in anticipation for more, María suddenly appeared again at the center of the massive circle, this time in a flowy white dress sitting in a clear bathtub filled with water with a mic in hand . She performed the hauntingly emotional song “If Only” in the bathtub as she tipped her head back into the water. She disappears again, and her band then performs the intro tracks to both of their albums; “Just A Feeling” from CINEMA and “Ride” from Submarine. It was an iconic way to wrap up the show and introduce the final two songs they performed, “All I Really Want Is You” and quite possibly the fan favorite song, “Cariño.”
The Marías never fail to impress me, with now two albums out that are both certified front to back no skip listens; I truly think that they will continue to surprise us with whatever they throw at us next! Third Coast Review has had the honor of covering this treasure of a band a handful of times; as early as their opening set at the Bottom Lounge in 2018 for Albert Hammond Jr.! It has been inspiring to have seen the band evolve and get to where they are today from the very beginning and we will continue to support The Marías always!
