The Marías Brought Joy for One More Night at South Side Ballroom

The crowd at South Side Ballroom roared with excitement Tuesday night as a few haunting keys rang out, indicating the start of the show. María Zardoya, lead vocalist of indie-pop California band The Marías, appeared behind a circular screen with blue-pink light illuminating her shadow.

She sang the intro to “The Hamptons,” the second track on the group’s sophomore album Submarine, in her signature,  delicately sensual voice: “Leaving without laughing / While I wait for your reply / But it’s never gonna come …”

“Submarine” was constructed shortly after Zardoya and bandmate Josh Conway ended their romantic relationship.

While discussing the album’s production, Zardoya told Variety: “I remember I knew what I wanted to say. But I hesitated to say it out loud because I was scared of how it would make Josh feel. There were a lot of those moments throughout this album that I was like, ‘I know what I want to say, but I’m holding back.'” Ultimately she told the publication, “It was uncomfortable to make at times but we got through it and made something beautiful.”

If the artists still felt a bit of discomfort, you definitely couldn’t tell. They transitioned seamlessly into the fourth studio track, “Run Your Mouth,” as Zardoya encouraged the audience to let out all their frustrations.

“When I jump, you’re gonna jump with me,” she said. “We’re gonna look out for each other, but I want you to just let it all out.”

Zardoya, who sings in English and Spanish, then took a moment to address the audience, asking, “¿Dónde está mi familia Latina?” or “Where is my Latin family?” The crowd cheered as she called out Colombia, Puerto Rico and Mexico. Later, fans were blessed with a throwback to The Marías’ first EP, Superclean, Vol. I, with a performance of “Only in My Dreams.”

After a brief intermission, leaving fans chanting “One more!” Zardoya returned, having swapped her long, tattered white dress for a shorter one, adding some clunky black shades to her look. The show ended with “Cariño” from Superclean, arguably one of the band’s most popular songs.

Zardoya skipped across the stage with all the lightness and romance the song carries. She hopped off the stage to greet the fans, showering them with love and gratitude. Anyone who came with a heavy heart certainly left feeling lighter.