Last Friday Marina & the Diamonds had their first sell-out in the City of Brotherly Love and Sisterly Affection, packing the legendary TLA for the summer’s best and sweatiest queer dance party, which very much resembled a performance from Madonna’s least mature days, when her fans’ favorite hangout was Claire’s… and I mean that in the best possible way. Seeing the seemingly-iconic 26-year-old Welsh songstress sassily strut across the stage, with a haphazard costume-(or accessory)-change between nearly every song, it was hard to believe that it wasn’t actually 1984. The only real tip-off was the lack of fishnet gloves and the abundance of small “meaningful” tattoos. However, as sleek and sexy as her swagger was, Marina wasn’t quite the highlight of the evening… That honor would go to openers MS MR… who also seemed to be stuck in a bit of a time warp… also, not a bad thing. The NYC male/female duo (although the live band is a four-piece) has successfully maintained a relatively ambiguous identity. In fact, they’re most regularly associated with postmodern, multi-media collages of [mostly] 90s pop culture (and anti-pop culture) imagery. Their sound is a, somehow, glamorously sludgy amalgamation of the gothiest post-punk, the dreamiest bubblegum pop, and the darkest alt rock. Had they been born in time, they easily could’ve served as the perfect opening act for Cyndi Lauper, Love and Rockets, or Meat Beat Manifesto. Their first single, “Hurricane,” (which can be downloaded for free at http://msmrsounds.com/) sounds along the lines of a 90s R&B heroine fronting Echo & the Bunnymen. The band’s set opening for Marina & the Diamonds was as epic and sunny as I think they’ve ever appeared and they were enthusiastically embraced by the largely underage audience, likely unfamiliar with what I’m assuming are their most prominent influences. What’s in-store for MS MR’s future, like everything else about them, isn’t entirely clear. However, they will be back touring the states very shortly, supporting GROUPLOVE, including a November 1st stop at the Electric Factory (dates listed below).
10/14 – New Orleans, LA @ HOB
10/16 – Atlanta, GA @ Masquerade
10/17 – Knoxville, TN @ Bijou Theater
10/18-22 @ CMJ Festival
10/23 – Nashville, TN @ Cannery
10/24 – Norfolk, VA @ NorVA
10/26 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Altar Bar
10/27 – Rochester, NY @ Water Street Music Hall
10/29 – Washington, DC @ 930 Club
10/30 – Washington, DC @ 930 Club
11/01 – Philadelphia, PA @ Electric Factory
11/02 – New York, NY @ Terminal 5
11/03 – Boston, MA @ Royale