Marina & the Diamonds – Antone’s, 04/11/11

Marina Diamandis of Marina & the Diamonds is one of those people for whom the phrase “blood, sweat and tears” was coined. She’s a pop singer with the voice of an opera singer who has the hunger for stardom that you might imagine a young Lady Gaga or Britney Spears possessing, except that she also has good-natured wit and a down-to-Earth character that endear her to fans. She is simultaneously the girl next door, and a diva in training, magnetic and impossible to take your eyes off of. On record, I knew none of this, except the witticism. When Marina took the Antone’s stage Monday night, she defined the rest within the first song.

Austin-based L.A.X. opened for Marina. I had heard their name before, but knew nothing about them. I fell in love almost instantaneously. L.A.X. are like some crazy blend of modern auto-tuned pop music with the best of cheesy 90′s pop and R&B. The female vocalists, Erin Jantzen and Yadira Brown, stole the show for me. They danced around, played in the fan blowing massive photo shoot-worthy air, and Yadira blew everyone away when she rapped over their tunes, eliciting hoots and hollers from a mightily impressed crowd. For some reason, there were few dancers getting down with the band – my guess is a mix of it being a Monday night and a younger crowd, so fewer people were, ahem, letting go of inhibitions – but there was still loving applause by the end of the band’s set, which they ripped through without breaking between songs. I was totally won over, and would recommend this group to anyone nostalgic for Ace of Bass, who likes talented rappers, or who just wants to dance.

As fabulous as the L.A.X. ladies’ voices were, nobody quite compares to Marina. Her gorgeous roar is arresting. After her four-piece band took the stage dressed in all black, Marina entered the scene as some weird time-traveling Pink Lady in a cheerleading skirt, halter tee and appropriate jean jacket with a giant diamond painted on the back. Her hair was teased out up to the heavens, and she was wearing a headband with a bow and neon-colored sunglasses. She tore the roof off with “The Outsider,” her voice rising and falling over dancey synth beats.

Marina and her Diamonds managed to play ever song on her 13-track full-length debut, The Family Jewels, with highlights including the fun and snotty “Girls,” which the ladies in the audience happily sneered along to, sparkly and Robyn-esque “Shampain,” crowd-pleasing “Oh No!” which tackles the theme of what someone is willing to give up for their goals, “Obsessions,” which saw Marina behind the keyboard and really allowed her voice to soar, and of course her hit, “I Am Not a Robot,” for which she changed into a neon-pink faux-leather dress and led an impassioned sing-along.

The band debuted two songs from their upcoming sophomore release. The first, never-before-heard, was called “Living Dead,” and you could feel how stoked the band was to give it a shot. Marina was nervous, but a cup of vodka soothed her and she managed to keep it from going “tits up” as she’d feared it would. The tune touched on a lot of her favorite themes, and it sounded like it could have even been an outtake from the Family Jewels. The second new song was one of my favorites of the whole night. Called “Jealousy,” it has a gut-twisting bass line and fantastic melody. It’s got a Eurythmics overtone to it, but still feels fresh.

Marina shut the night down with a final costume change and an ode to America, “Hollywood,” that was an energetic and fantastic way to close. In a sequined skirt and top with the American flag on it, she belted her tune about the “American Queen.” She’d mentioned earlier in the night that she was legitimately fascinated with American and wanted so badly to “make it here.” If this performance was any indication, she’s well on her way.

Some artists are best left to recording booths and vinyl discs, where they can tweak their visions to perfection. Others shine best under live stage light, and Marina defines this category. Given the chance, she will make you fall in love with her at a live show. Her energy, visible star power and knockout vocal prowess absolutely must be experienced in a sweaty crowd. Marina is the real deal, and I can’t wait for her to storm the charts and become the American dream.