MARIAN HILL ASTOUNDS AT BROOKLYN STEEL

The first time I discovered Marian Hill, I was at Gov Ball 2016, meandering from one stage to the next when I heard someone singing a cover of Whitney Houston’s “I Wanna Dance With Somebody.” I stopped dead in my tracks at first because I was so stunned by what I was hearing then quickly ran towards the stage to see who was making these beautifully haunting sounds that I will never forget. When I heard that they were going to be performing at Brooklyn Steel I knew I had to take the opportunity to see them again.

Opening the show that night was indie/electronic band Opia, hailing from New Haven, CT. This was a special night for them because they had just graduated college and it was the first night of their tour with Marian Hill. The duo’s smooth electronic sound has sultry undertones that make anyone sway along and get lost in the beat. Their rendition of Britney Spears’ “…Baby One More Time” was phenomenal!

Opia

What looked like tall metal cages with white sheets draped over them bookended the stage. As the lights went low and the music swelled, a shadow popped up behind each white fortress – Jeremy Lloyd’s shadow on one side and Samantha Gongol’s on the other – teasing the audience until they busted through the sheets and the crowd cheered.

Marian Hill

MH

Marian Hill

The stage presence of this entire band is astounding. Sam dances around the stage like she’s a fairy princess, but sexy, Jeremy is keeping time with his beats and their saxophone player Steve Davit is probably the funkiest person I’ve ever seen. This was the first show of their month long Down tour and it was magic. They played songs off of their debut album ACT ONE as well as my favorite Whitney cover that introduced them to me only one short year ago. Marian Hill is magic and their music always leaves me wanting more.