Described as a “lifechanging performance,” The Marías won the hearts of new listeners during their Week 1 and Week 2 Coachella performances. Although, the nine-year old band was already on their way to stardom from the stellar reviews from their Submarine album. From their early days playing in humble venues to opening for Billie Eilish, The Marías’ understated tunes now draw in thousands for their shows. During their sold-out performance at the Santa Barbara Bowl, fans dressed up in their Sunday best clothes and stood in overnight lines just for a good spot in the pit.
Bringing the same set design and production as their Coachella stage, The Marías emit an indescribable aura among the over four thousand attendees in the house. As the sun began to set during the set, the ephemeral glow on vocalist María Zardoya as the spotlight shined on her for “Hamptons.” Her delicate, hypnotic notes left the crowd floating in the air as she and her bandmates took the stage. Walking from stage left to right, she took a look at the naturally lit crowd as she fluttered in her dress. Joined alongside her on stage were Josh Conway (drums), Jesse Perlman (guitar), Edward James (keyboard), Doron Zounes (bass), and Gabe Steiner (trumpet).
“So happy to be back here with y’all, thank you so much for coming,” said Zardoya. “I want y’all to try something with me, okay? When I start jumping, I want you all to start jumping too, including all of y’all up here!” Weaving in the energy from “Real Life” and “Run Your Mouth,” the band’s percussion, guitar, synth, and bass melded together in perfect harmony with Zardoya’s precise vocals. Despite their earlier jump-and-mosh vitality, The Marías perfected their control over the audience as they followed the group’s ebb-and-flow groove.
Full of sincerity in their performance, The Marías had no problem connecting with the audience and still maintaining their intimate accessibility. The concert elevated the same out-of-body experience found from listening to their recorded track, but also transformed the atmosphere into a dreamscape with a genre blending psychedelic Latin rhythm that pulses through one’s veins. Adding to their already stellar set, Steiner’s trumpet felt like the cherry on top of a rich, well-prepared cake. He shined during the mashup between “Lovefool” and “Care for You” as he fired his horn during the outro.
The presence of the stage design and lightshow production became its own character as the cinematic oranges, blues, and reds flooded the stage. Dousing the pit in a mesmerizing light, the concert was a fantasy that one never wants to wake up from.
“Buenos, Santa Bárbara,” greeted Zardoya after the forlorn “Loverboy.” “A ver, a ver, a ver. ¿Dónde está mi familia Latina aquí? (Let’s see, where is my Latino family here?).” Her fans responded with an uproar, yelling responses as she listed out several Latin American countries. “Yo sé que ahí hay alguien de Argentina aquí con nosotros (I know there is someone from Argentina here). Peru? Columbia? Honduras? El Salvador? Puerto Rico? Dominican Republic? Cuba? Mexico!”
Bursting into their collaboration track with Bad Bunny, “Otro Atardecer,” Zardoya draped herself in the flag of Puerto Rican and walked amongst the crowd. Heiled as the “people’s princess,” fans followed her up and down the venue until she returned back on stage.
As the show came to a close, The Marías had a couple more songs up their sleeves for the encore. Surprising fans, Zardoya emerged from a transparent tub in a white slip. Like the steam rising from the (hopefully) warm water during “If Only,” the temperature in the coastal venue turned up as she submerged herself in the water as Steiner’s trumpet took center stage again with a sultry bar. Giving the vocalist a moment to dry off and change, Conway would take over with his vocals, calling back the tracks in their earlier EPs where he contributed his vocals to many of their songs.
“Santa Barbara,” said Conway. “How many of y’all been fans since Cinema? Since Superclean, Vol. II? I know I have some day ones out here with Superclean, Vol. I? Definitely less of you, but here’s a deep cut.”
Of course, the show wouldn’t be complete without their viral hit, “No One Noticed.” Not a single voice was silent during that performance, especially not during the chorus. It’s a shame that The Marías don’t have more stops further down the West Coast, but at the rate they’re growing, they’ll likely be back again. Performing as part of their Submarine Tour (Extended), the group has seen an even greater, excited fervor during their post-album, post-Coachella extended tour. With over 31 million monthly listeners on Spotify, the band is only seeing further growth from here on out.
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