What My 13-Year-Old Thought of Monday’s Melanie Martinez Show

Pop singer Melanie Martinez brought her latest tour, Hades: The Sacrifice, to Charlotte’s Spectrum Center on Monday. Her fourth studio album, Hades, centers on corruption and capitalism within a mythological, fantasy framework that came to life on stage.

Because my 13-year-old daughter is one of the strongest demographics within Martinez’s fanbase, I thought I’d let her handle a portion of the review. Not considering herself a fan of Martinez and never having seen her live before Monday night, she made for an unbiased judge. (Her thoughts are in italics.)

“There wasn’t a second I wasn’t entertained. It was always a new story — medieval stuff, present day themes, whimsical stuff. Every song was like its own individual story, but they all tied together so that it all made sense.”

Throughout the show, each song was given an introduction to provide a bit more context.

“I thought it was really cool how she had screens with a narrator. It would refer to her as a subject and then you’d hear her voice giving a backstory for every song. I’ve never seen that before.”

It was evident throughout the night that Martinez was handling the singing and dancing capacities in real time — heavy breathing in the microphone backed that idea up.

“I also liked when she brought up a fan for an entire song, during ‘Avoidant.’ She sang to her and held her hand.”

As Martinez has done on her previous tours, the setlist was a performance of her latest album from start to finish. She performed all 18 songs from Hades, bouncing between the main stage and a B-stage in the middle of the floor.

“It would have been nice if she played songs from a mix of her albums, but this is what she does on all her tours. It would have also been nice to have a few more outfit changes.”

My daughter said she found a new appreciation for Martinez’s music after seeing it live.

“I do like her music more since going to the show. I understand it more now that I’ve seen it live. I understand the backstories, rather than just only listening to them.”

The night got started with a set from Haute & Freddy, an alt-pop duo that leans on synth-pop and circus themes, who performed songs off their debut album, Big Disgrace.

The duo, Michelle Buzz and Lance Shipp, were both previously songwriters for artists including Katy Perry, Kylie Minogue, Britney Spears and Calvin Harris. With that in mind, those who aren’t in the know can expect lots of catchy hooks and earworms.

Martinez is nearing the end of the tour, which wraps up next week with two final shows in Texas.

Melanie Martinez setlist
Garbage
Is This a Cult?
Possession
White Boy With a Gun
Disney Princess
Grudges
Monopoly Man
Avoidant
Monolith
Weight Watchers
The Plague
Batshit Intelligence
Gutter
Uncanny Valley
The Vatican
Hell’s Front Porch
Chatroom

Encore
The Last Two People on Earth

Be sure to check out Queen City Nerve’s Soundwave, Charlotte’s most comprehensive live music listing, so you don’t miss out on any shows or concerts coming up. And hell, if you’re looking for something else to do, you can check out our events page as well, which runs the gamut of things to do in Charlotte. You don’t ever have to be bored again. You can check out more of Jeff’s pics and live reviews here.