Ancient Dreams in a Modern Land: Marina at the Keller
For the second date of her first post-COVID tour, pop royalty Marina Diamandis made her long-awaited return to the live stage at the Keller Auditorium on Saturday night. Read our full review and photo gallery of the show below, and check out photographer Emma Davis’s photo gallery of Tove Styrke’s opening set here.
It had been well over two years since pop singer-songwriter Marina Diamandis had taken to the road, last visiting Portland in late 2019 touring behind her radio-ready double album, LOVE + FEAR.
Though she had planned to embark on a short tour in 2020, as with the rest of the music world, COVID quickly brought a halt to any future plans for touring.
In between album cycles and away from the road, Marina focused on crafting her fifth studio album. Released in June of 2021, Ancient Dreams in a Modern Land represented a return of form for Marina, taking her sound back to the alt-pop landscape of her debut album, The Family Jewels.
Now finally back on the road with a new album in tow, Marina brought the sonic and visual aesthetic of Ancient Dreams to Portland’s Keller Auditorium, the biggest venue she’s played in Portland so far.
With a more alternative and less sanitary, glossy sound, Marina traded the dancers and backing track of her LOVE + FEAR tour for a full band once again, the music becoming the focal point of the show.
Opening with the title track of Ancient Dreams and the feminist pop-rock anthem “Venus Fly Trap”, Marina played through a set list of nearly 20 songs, including seven of the ten tracks on her latest record. Keeping with the alternative pop texture of the new album, she matched the sonic feel with plenty of tracks from Froot and The Family Jewels, keeping the set cohesive and yet full of unbridled energy.
Of course, she found room for the fan favorites as well, closing the main set with Electra Heart tracks “How to Be a Heartbreaker” and “Bubblegum Bitch.”
Returning to the stage for an encore, Marina sat down at the piano and treated the crowd to a performance of Ancient Dreams closing track “Goodbye”, one of the strongest songs on the record and quite possibly one of the best songs of her career.
The crowd lit up with phone lights and hanging on her every word, it proved the perfect close to a long-awaited return to the stage.
Photographer Emma Davis was there to capture the moment. View her full photo gallery below.
Bren Swogger (they/them) is the creator and editor of Indie/Alt Magazine. Bren started Indie/Alt as a music blog during their sophomore year of high school, and after a long hiatus, relaunched it as an online entertainment magazine in 2021 for their capstone project at Pacific University. After 10 years in the music journalism industry, Bren has a long-standing passion for live music, but also loves to explore their passion for other artistic outlets. You can find Bren writing voraciously, adding to their never-ending stack of TBRs, and marathoning classic horror films.
Emma Davis is a photographer for Indie/Alt Magazine and long-time best friend of editor/creator Bren Swogger. Emma and Bren have been collaborating within the music journalism industry for years, first with Vortex Music Magazine then with Indie/Alt. A graduate from University of Oregon, you can find her writing stories for the Happy Valley News, crying to Taylor Swift, or watching UNHhhh with her girlfriend.