MELANIE MARTINEZ - LIVE IN FORT WORTH
Jade Mcdonald - @jadesconcertphotos.jpeg
It is June 22nd, a hot yet exciting Saturday in the city of Fort Worth, Texas. I’ve flown into town from my home in Arkansas for arguably the biggest opportunity in my career as a concert photographer so far and that opportunity is none other than shooting esteemed pop star Melanie Martinez’s show at Dickies Arena. I am a long time fan of Melanie’s work and showmanship as a woman in music but nothing could prepare me for this whimsical night.
The show began around seven with the first opener Sofia Isella taking the stage. She began her set by playing her most popular song Hot Gum. During her set, she mentioned adding a song because of the ongoing Texas abortion ban that has been all the buzz in politics lately, confirming her stance on the ordeal. Isella’s stage presence was all-around minimal when it comes to interactions with the crowd but there was still a lot of energy to be found in the arena. After she closed her set with Rainbow Rocket Ride, the crowd’s hype level had drastically increased just in time for the second and final opening act: Beach Bunny.
Once Beach Bunny came out, they began playing Cuffing Season. It appeared that a vast majority of the venue was familiar with the group’s music because the arena was full of howling and cheering as they performed. There were alot of joyous fans dancing at the barricade even as a seated show and the energy during Prom Queen was just incredible; filled with fans screaming the lyrics at the top of their lungs. During this show they also debuted their newest song Vertigo, making for a monumental performance.
Overall the openers were the perfect preparation for the fans as they waited for Melanie.
As soon as the opening song Crybaby began, the entire arena was filled with loud cheering and screaming. With the amount of fans making noise, you could barely hear Melanie as she sang softly upon entering.
Melanie’s performance was a vivid telling of a story in a way. With stunning background and stage elements, the graphics evolved with each song that passed us by. It was all so breathtaking and almost unreal to see in real time. Even when she shifted from one album to another, her graphics and dancers changed with it all in one fluid motion.
In between her K12 album and Portals, she had a gorgeous dance scene with two dancers who told such a nice tale of death and being reborn; it moved the entire arena. After she finished the show with her song Womb, there was a bunch of confetti and pyrotechnics that went off and she then asked the crowd to join in with her to scream “Free Palestine.” The entire experience was extremely magical and eye opening, not to mention so worth the wait in the 90 degree Texas weather.
