LOS ANGELES, CA- Spirits were high on Friday, June 2nd, as I prepared to catch a live performance from Mareux for the fourth time. On my way to the photo pit, I ran into a group of four girls, each dressed almost identically to me: black tops, black bottoms, and black Doc Martens. This seemed to be the unspoken, telepathically agreed-upon uniform among most Mareux showgoers. We laughed and bonded over our shared fashion sense. Before I had to rush back into the crowd, they insisted we pose for a photo showcasing our nearly identical Doc Martens during this impromptu conversation circle. We huddled together for the photo before parting ways.
Cold Gawd opened the night with a setlist featuring a splendid blend of shoegaze, post-hardcore, and alternative rock. Having never heard of the band before, I decided to experience their performance without preconceptions and didn’t listen to any of their material beforehand. I was pleasantly surprised by how well they captivated the audience and me with their guitar-centric sound. Many of their songs reminded me of Deftones, so much so that at one point, I could’ve sworn they played a cover of Deftones’ “Be Quiet and Drive Far Away”.
When the ‘darkwave prince’ Mareux took the stage, cheers erupted from every corner of the crowd, and excited screams echoed from the large balcony over the floor. His set featured both new and old hits, including “Summertime”, “Gopnik”, and “Lovers From The Past”, the title track from his debut LP. In an interview I conducted with him a few weeks ago, he revealed that “Lovers” was his favorite track to perform live, so the energy both he and the crowd brought to the song was electric. He concluded his set with his worldwide viral hit, “The Perfect Girl”, as the perfect encore. The crowd sang and danced their hearts out until the red velvet curtains fell.
Mareux’s last performance of the US leg of his global tour couldn’t have been more fitting: a completely sold-out show in his hometown of Los Angeles. The love Mareux’s hometown fans have for his music shone brightly throughout the performance, and by the end, his merch table was completely emptied. Luckily, I managed to snag a shirt for myself earlier in the night!
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