Mariah the Scientist brings her Hearts Beat Separately Tour to the Fillmore
On Saturday night a looming snow storm predicting anywhere from 10-20 inches of fresh snowfall between that evening and Sunday. As I drove down to the Fillmore in a flurry of snow I wondered if the weather might deter show goers.
Opening the evening was rising R&B artist 4Batz, whose moody, late-night sound set the tone for the night. His set leaned into the hypnotic vulnerability that has made tracks like “act ii: date @ 8” catch fire online, with the crowd quickly settling into the evening hype. Blending understated vocals with smooth beats and a confident stage presence, 4Batz proved to be a fitting warm-up. drawing the audience into his world before the headliner took the stage. He gave a performance featuring two incredibly captivating dancers and a display of visuals that complimented the shows mood.
Show goers continued to file in during 4Batz energizing performance. In the 45 minutes between sets the house was packed. The snow storm did not stop the army of fans from piling into the Hearts Sold Separately Tour.
Mariah the Scientist took the stage dressed in a two piece Arm green colored set, which was a surprising detour from her typical bubblegum pink she has sported the rest of the tour. The stage risers, the band and her two male dancers were dressed in complimentary latex army green. The two male dancers brought a militant hip hop style dance to the show which brought the whole set next level entertainment.
Mariah opened the show with a mash up of United Nations + 1000 Ways to Die. This was one of the shows that from the second the first notes played and Mariah started to sing, so did the audience. It was genuinely fun to listen to Mariah and the audience share and trade vocal parts of her songs. At one point she jokes, ‘Lets see if you know this one as well as we do too,’ before diving into another fan favorite. This tour is in support of her critically-acclaimed fourth studio release, which hit No. 11 on the Billboard album chart, a new career high, also topping the Billboard R&B chart. The evidence of the albums success was supported by the fans dedication to the show - concert goers dressed in army green, her signature pinks. I watched as an array of celebration groups passed by, energetic birthday sashes and stumbling bachelorette groups filled the crowd. Mariah played through her hits spanning the discography including,"Spread Thin," "Beetlejuice," "Always n Forever," and "From A Woman.”
Mariah’s set was so full of energy, hype and excitement from the audience it was reminiscent of a headliner set at a music festival. From the moment she stepped on stage, the crowd sang along to nearly every word, the performance felt both intimate and larger than life. By the end of the night it was clear this wasn’t just a tour stop, Mariah is fully stepping into her moment.
