07.12.23 – Photos by Jessica Fredette / Review by McKenna Klaphake

On Wednesday, July 12th, the Armory hosted fairies, freaks, and creatures of all ages for pop singer, Melanie Martinez’s final state side stop on her North American tour. The sold-out show highlighted Martinez’s recent album release, PORTALS, which notes the death of who the artist used to be and debuts her new image; a pink alien with four eyes and large fairy ears. Fans eagerly waited outside the venue, lining three blocks, expressing themselves in all things mushroom, fairy, and fantastical. It was beautiful to see so many young people dressed how they wanted, many of which donned matching alien makeup to Martinez herself.

San Francisco-based shoe-gaze musician/band, Tanukichan, opened the show. The musical project of Hannah van Loon created a welcoming feeling as fans continued to pile into the venue. The artist switched between heavier rock beats and synth-driven pop songs. Lead singer and bassist, van Loon was supported by a guitarist and drummer (who also jumped in on vocals occasionally.) The band performed tracks from their latest album, GIZMO, as well as their first album, Sundays. Tanukichan’s lyrics were almost incoherent, whether that was due to the sound system in the venue or just the bands vibe, is up for debate. 

While the overall set could be considered lackluster, as the band was pretty stagnant and the lighting was uninteresting, I feel that they supported the show efficiently enough, especially considering that most people were still filling into the Armory. The opening performance served its purpose. Tanukichan’s music is good, especially for fans of indie pop, however, compared to the main act of the night, the band became easily forgettable.

Melanie Martinez’s show was one of the most interesting and entertaining that I have had the pleasure of reviewing. It was clear that the fans present were die-hard supporters, many of whom have been listening to her since she blew up on Tumblr nearly a decade ago. Since then, many of Martinez’s songs have gone viral on Tik Tok and other social media platforms. Known for her creepy and dark lyrics mixed with feminine and delicate imagery, it’s no surprise that fans gravitate to whatever she creates. PORTALS is no different; the album combines the fantastical extraterrestrial world of Martinez’s own creation with lyrics that touch on taboo topics such as menstruation, self-image, and toxic relationships. 

The set opened to the sound of thousands of shrill screams as Martinez began with the song, “DEATH.” The catchy and punchy song introduced the singer and her background dancers with flashing lights and vines dropping from the ceiling. Martinez transported us to her ethereal world with animations on a screen behind her and inflatable mushrooms flanking each end of the stage. The artist was also supported by a full band, including a cellist and keyboardist. She knew that the crowd was full of dedicated fans as she turned her microphone on them to encourage the audience to sing along, but they were already dutifully doing so. 

Martinez is an excellent storyteller, not only through her lyrics but through her choreography as well. She engaged with her dancers as they took us track by track through the full PORTALS album. Fan favorites that night included “FAERIE SOIRÉE” and “MOON CYCLE,” the latter of which was accompanied by an animation of a moon floating down a river of blood, while on stage Martinez was bathed in dark red lighting, to symbolize the menstruation theme of the song. The visually engaging aspects of the show were also seen in Martinez’s performance of “SPIDER WEB,” when a gigantic spider web lifted behind the singer. Throughout the whole show Martinez ensured that all eyes were on her as beautiful animations, talented dancers, and flashing lights caught, and kept, our attention. 

As a fan of Martinez’s debut album, Cry Baby, I was disappointed to not hear any of her older songs. However, when you listen to her new music, especially the song “VOID,” she sings “I hate who I was before” so I can understand why she might not want to perform her older material. I sympathize with the artist who had been under media scrutiny in the past for rumors that ended up being false. Still, I think many of her fans would have enjoyed hearing a couple of old tracks, even just as an encore. 

It was impressive for Martinez to perform her whole set in a mask that covered ¾ of her face, however despite it covering her nose and upper lip, she didn’t let it affect her singing, as she sounded exactly how you’d expect.

Melanie Martinez ended the night with four encore performances, including a single off of the Deluxe PORTALS album titled, “MILK OF THE SIREN.” With a blast of a cannon shooting pink butterfly confetti over the audience, which security kindly helped scoop up and give to the diehard fans who waited in line all day to be in the front, the show concluded and we were pulled from her whimsical world and back into the gray-walled Armory.