The Marias: Just Like Being in a Dream at History in Toronto [Photos]

It has been about three years since The Marias’ fantastic debut album, Cinema, and The Marias have just released their follow-up album, Submarine.  They kicked off their tour in support of Submarine in mid-July in Oakland. Toronto is the only Canadian date, as the group arrived at History on August 6th. A lot has happened during this break between albums, most notably the dissolving of the relationship between Maria Zardoya and Josh Conway. It has been said to be painful, but also growing and healing, and of it came Submarine. The two remain friends, and both continue to write and produce for The Marias.

Submarine isn’t a fall departure from Cinema, and the songs melt perfectly into the setlist with coverage from Cinema, which gives the show cohesion and flow. Maria came on stage against a circular backdrop which projected the singer’s silhouette during the openers, “Hamptons” and “Run Your Mouth,” which were a bit more upbeat and funkier to get the crowd moving.

The show lighting was showered in soft blues and reds, representative of Submarine and Cinema, which complemented The Maria’s dreamy sound. Maria danced seductively through the entire show. There is no mistaking her driving presence and connection with the Toronto crowd. She praised the fact that we can again be present again to enjoy music and it’s great to see the band live again on stage.

One moment, Maria called out the Latin and Spanish attendees and how proud she was to represent Latin America, having a Puerto Rican background. Maria sings in both English and Spanish, and there are tracks that represent both languages. Most notable are the dreamy “Legos de Ti,” the melodic “Ay No Puedo,” and the massive Bad Bunny collaboration “Otro Atardecer.”

Some other highlights included the karaoke sing-a-long “Paranoia” and these excellent tracks from Cinema: “Calling U Back,” “Hush,” and “Un Millon.” The Marias also did a fun cover of The Cardigans’ “Lovefool,” which got the crowd singing and swaying in unison.

My favourite, most cinematic moment of the night was during the dreamy, jazzy, horn-heavy “If Only” because it is so representative of The Marias’ music and vulnerability. After the track, the stage was showered in a sea of red light, almost like a curtain, before heading into their encore, which ended with an older track off their earlier EP, Carino.

The Marias might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but they have a dreamy vibe, and their show is immersive, vulnerable, sensitive, and just plain cool. It was a beautiful show, and Submarine is a beautiful album.

The Marias (w/ Automatic) @ History (Toronto, ON) on August 6, 2024

27 photos