Live Review: MARINA - Orpheum Theatre, Vancouver 10/10/2019

In a spectacular finale of the Love + Fear Tour, MARINA got Vancouver on its feet as she gave an incredible performance at the Orpheum Theatre!

The feeling inside of the theatre was one of pure joy as fans packed out the theatre, awaiting MARINA to grace the stage. Somehow, the joy still managed to intensify when she finally came into view, getting the evening started with “Handmade Heaven”. Standing on top of a white podium, with only the microphone and a spotlight, MARINA brought heavy 80’s glamour and Material Girl vibes, especially as the dancers joined her on stage, framing her. Her heavily choreographed set not only made the show fantastic to watch, but also cemented her status as one of pop music’s modern queens.

Along with her incredible stage presence, MARINA’s vocal abilities were on full display throughout the evening as she seemed to effortlessly perfect all of her songs with incredible control. There are so many incredible performers nowadays, but it’s not often you’ll hear an artist sing live and it sound basically identical to the studio versions of the songs. It’s unclear how MARINA has continued to be considered an underground pop act, despite her numerous chart hits and outstanding live performance.

In 2018 MARINA dropped ‘and the Diamonds’ from her name after three decently successful albums (The Family Diamonds, Electra Heart, Froot) and some soul searching, choosing to tie her music more closely to her real self. Her newest album, and the first under the new name, Love + Fear, seems to embody her feelings about this change. Split into two collections of eight songs, MARINA has said that these are the only true emotions. One cannot be felt at the same time as the other.

While this show marked the end of the North American leg of the Love + Fear Tour, UK and European fans still have a chance to catch this show from October 28th to November 18th.

Photos and words by Kelli Anne.