The Marías created an unforgettable experience during their Submarine Tour in San Diego on Aug. 18. With spontaneous setlist changes and heartwarming crowd interactions, the GRAMMY-nominated band created a mesmerizing journey through sound and visuals.
The English-Spanish group’s sophomore album, Submarine, explores the emotional rollercoaster of a breakup, particularly the one between lead singer Maria Zardoya and drummer Josh Conway. The Submarine Tour embodies these intense themes of pain and growth through an emotional live performance.
On Sunday, the evening began with fans gathered outside the gates of San Diego’s Cal Coast Credit Union Amphitheater. Many fans dressed in deep blues, reds and blacks- on theme with the band’s album covers. The opening act, Automatic – composed of Izzy Glaudini, Lola Dompé, and Halle Saxon – set the scene with songs from their debut and sophomore albums, “Signal” and “Excess.”
As the sun set, The Marías took to the stage under the full moon. Opening with the song ‘Hamptons’ off of Submarine, Zardoya appeared center stage, encased by a blue spherical set that illuminated her silhouette. She was accompanied onstage by band members Josh Conway, Jesse Perlman, Edward James, Doron Zounes and Gabe Steiner to perform a jazzy, psychedelic night of percussion, guitar, keys, brass and vocals.
Zardoya wore an all-black long-sleeve bodysuit paired with a sheer black skirt and a thick curvy leather belt. To the right of the stage, a second circular slanted set served as the stage during “Only in My Dreams,” one of the band’s first hits from their EP Superclean, Vol. I.
The band seamlessly moved through their discography, performing songs from “Un Million,” “Little By Little” and “No One Noticed.” The stage’s visual experience shifted from deep blues to warm red-oranges, mirroring the emotional depth of their music.
During the song “Lejos De Ti,” the audience participated in a beautifully-crafted fan project, holding up their flashlights covered with blue paper hearts. The song, which reflects on the pain of being separated from someone by physical distance, created an emotional atmosphere as the crowd swayed to the music, making the moment memorable for both the band and the audience.
The band then switched up the pace with a cover of “Lovefool” by The Cardigans. The stage turned soft pink and purple, and the crowd enthusiastically sang along to the iconic lyrics.
In an unexpected turn, Maria announced that she would perform “Heavy,” a song not originally on the setlist. This decision was influenced by a petition started by Andrew, the runner of the @themarias.hq fan page on Instagram.
“Heavy,” the seventh track off of “CINEMA,” is a deeply personal song about anxiety and self-isolation. The bass-driven production, combined with Zardoya’s soft, whispery vocals weaves together to produce a beautiful yet haunting melody that evokes a profound sense of melancholy.
“Heavy is my favorite song of all time,” Andrew shared. “They played it on opening night in Oakland but then took it off the setlist after that.”
In a lighthearted yet determined effort, the longtime fan decided to use his platform to campaign for the gut-wrenching song to be added back to the setlist. As the petition gained traction on Instagram, Zardoya reached out to Andrew, shocked by the strong demand from fans to hear the song live.
To their surprise, the petition garnered enough support to make it happen, and the crowd roared as the opening notes played.
Andrew started the @themarias.hq page to share his art and pursue a career in graphic design within the music industry. His efforts paid off when one of his designs was selected to be featured on the band’s merchandise — a large black tote bag with a blue, liquid-like swirl logo surrounded by the North American Submarine tour dates and cities.
Andrew first discovered The Marías after his cousin played him “Over the Moon” after a trip to Costco. Since then, he has fallen in love with their music and culture, attending the band’s live shows multiple times.
“This account is sort of my portal of getting into [the music industry] while also being close to the band I love,” Andrew said.
As if the night couldn’t get more special, Zardoya surprised the crowd by walking offstage and through the venue during the band’s hit “Orto Atardecer.” She reached out to hug fans as she moved through the aisles, creating a surreal and intimate experience for everyone attending.
To close the night, Zardoya returned to the stage to perform “Echo,” “Hush,” “Paranoia” and “If Only.” During “If Only,” she appeared in a bathtub filled with water, singing while leaning against one end of the tub, with smoke slowly filling the stage behind her. The spotlight also highlighted Edward on piano and Gabe Steiner, who delivered a soulful trumpet solo.
The visually stunning performance left fans wanting more, leading them to chant for an encore. A few minutes later, Zardoya reappeared in an all-white outfit, accompanied by the rest of the band, to perform one of their biggest hits, “Cariño”.
With beautifully executed themes of loss and love, The Marías delivered a cinematic performance filled with raw vocals and emotional live instrumentals, closing out the first of two nights in San Diego on a high note.
