MELANIE MARTINEZ – LIVE @ HARTFORD HEALTHCARE AMP
By Shannon Wilk
The born-again, back from the dead, creature herself, Melanie Martinez, brought her high-concept PORTALS tour to Bridgeport’s Hartford Healthcare Amphitheater on June 27th. Hundreds of fans lined up outside the venue dressed to the nines in fairycore and cottagecore aesthetic outfits and makeup to match. “What in the fairytale is this?” remarked one staff member.
Tanukichan
Opening the show was Hannah van Loon, better known by her stage moniker Tanukichan. Her dream pop, shoegaze-y sounds filled the beautiful outdoor venue just as the sun was setting. Coming from the Bay Area, Tanukichan brings a drummer and guitarist to support her bass playing and vocals. Though she has two studio albums released to date, her set throughout the tour supporting Martinez focuses mostly on songs from her 2023 work, GIZMO. Tanukichan’s performance can be described as soft and stripped down, with just three musicians in jeans and casual shirts, compared to Melanie Martinez’s high-production set with a full band and dancers all in costume and makeup.
Tanukichan Setlist:
The Blue Sky
Don’t Give Up
Take Care
A Bad Dream
Mr. Rain
This Time
Like You
Been Here Before
Thank You (Dido cover)
Hunned Bandz
Melanie Martinez
As the amphitheater goes dark, a child’s voice says, “Wanna know a secret?” and the crowd erupts into deafening cheer. A candle appears on the screen and the backing band takes the stage. Melanie Martinez finds herself center-stage with a group of 4 dancers bowing down to her. Death of former character, Crybaby, depicted in her first two studio albums, while her newest album shows her rebirth.
The set’s opening song is titled “Death” and tells the story of CryBaby’s death and subsequent return and evolution. Martinez is “back from the dead” and has a brand new look featuring pink-toned skin and hair, 4 eyes, big elf-like ears, hearts on her cheeks and more. Martinez creates a visually captivating show with passionate, expressive dancers, constantly changing screens behind the group, along with intricate makeup and costuming. Their entire set, from start-to-finish, featured songs from PORTALS, which meant the crowd was filled with dedicated, die-hard fans who know more than just the edgy pop hits the artist has created over the years.
PORTALS takes a completely different creative direction from Melanie Martinez’s first two records and that rolls over into her live show as well. Not only does Martinez sing these catchy, alt pop anthems, she also constructs this twisted fairytale world that leaves the audience hinging on her every move.
As she begins singing “Light Shower”, she takes a seat in the middle of the stage and her dancers move around her. She rises and begins walking around as she sings, the emotion in her voice very audible. A giant spider web appears on the stage and the audience screams with excitement for what’s next.
The set goes on and lights go down, it’s time for “Moon Cycle”. Martinez performs in all red lights for the song as a moon moves around on the screen behind her. The artist has this ethereal presence onstage that a lot of other artists fail to create in modern music. In a time where concept albums are dying, Melanie Martinez thrives and keeps them alive.
Martinez and her dancers strut to the front of the stage and pose like fashion models do and as they strut back, she begins singing “Evil”. It is impressive how Martinez can take such dark and deep subjects and create a happy-sounding song and visual performance. Melanie Martinez has one of the most captivating, interesting live shows on the road right now. She is keeping alive the fantasy, the story, the high-concept character like no other artist is, and it has been wildly successful.
Melanie Martinez Setlist:
DEATH
VOID
TUNNEL VISION
FAERIE SOIRÉE
LIGHT SHOWER
SPIDER WEB
LEECHES
BATTLE OF THE LARYNX
THE CONTORTIONIST
MOON CYCLE
NYMPHOLOGY
EVIL
WOMB
POWDER
PLUTO
MILK OF THE SIREN
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