On Wednesday, the Red Rocks Park & Amphitheatre stage transformed into a sleek retro-futuristic set to house the extended leg of The Marías Submarine tour, and their debut as a headlining act at the venue. As people clambered in to see the fast-rising indie pop group, anticipation was at an all-time high. All across the venue, The Marías-inspired style could be seen as groups of people wearing lace maxi skirts and flowing high-fashion ensembles made their trek up the hill.
For the opening act, three-piece band julie took to the stage to share their unique brand of shoegaze-meets-grunge-noise-pop music. The spaced-out, ethereal indie rock performance paved the way for The Marías to blow the crowd away and resigned everyone to a dreamlike, altered state.
As the crowd hungered for more, the sun set and darkness fell over the rocks. Audience members held their breath, and people murmured amongst themselves. Suddenly, a single strip of blue lights flashed across the stage. The crowd cheered with excitement, and slowly more beams of blue light began to pop up to the soft beat of the music. The gentle intervals of light then transformed into a barrage of flashes that hastened until, finally, bright yellow lights took over the stage. Then, the silhouette of María herself appeared on a large, spherical blue screen atop the staircase of the stage.
The intro music continued and lead vocalist María Zardoya then slowly glided out from the side of the ether and people went wild. As the intro song continued, Zardoya thanked the crowd and encouraged the crowd to start jumping with her and the energy of the night further amplified. “I want you to try something with me. Be safe, look out for each other, but when I start jumping, I want y’all to start jumping. Let out all of your frustrations!” she said.
As the beat of their song “Hamptons” off Submarine began to play, people across the amphitheater jumped in unison with Zardoya as she danced around the stage. The upbeat, entrancing song set the tone for the rest of the show and people were gently transported into the Marías unique soundscape.
The band then launched into “Real Life,” one of their most sensual songs that melds a deep bass with the feathery vocals of Maria. This was promptly followed by “Run Your Mouth,” a more upbeat song that had the crowd swaying in their stands. The effortless transition between tempos kept the crowd heavily engaged.
The band then went on to play a cover of “Lovefool” by The Cardigans mashed together with their song “Care For You” and the crowd continued to lose their minds and loosen their hips. Following the flawless cover, Zardoya went on to sing “Only In My Dreams” before taking a moment to reflect on the band’s previous show at Red Rocks and dedicating their set to late manager and friend, Gonzo Lubel, who passed away in a plane crash in 2024.
Zardoya then went on to address the crowd before singing “Lejos de Ti,” sharing, “Cada vez que canto [Lejos de Ti], me hace recordar a mi familia. Ahorita mismo, están en Puerto Rico disfrutando la playa, disfrutando el sol, cuidando a mi abuelita [y] comiendo un montón de comida bien rica,” said Zardoya in Spanish. “Aunque yo quisiera que ellos estáran aquí con nosotros y yo con ellos. Tal vez si ustedes también tienen familia que están lejos de ustedes, pues esta canción es para ellos.”
Translation: “Every time I sing [Lejos de Ti], it reminds me of my family. Right now, they’re in Puerto Rico enjoying the beach, enjoying the sun, taking care of my grandma [and] eating a lot of delicious food. Although I wish they were here with us and I was with them. Maybe if you also have family who are far away from you, then this song is for them.”
“Lejos de Ti” is a song that expresses the gut-wrenching pain of dealing with an absent lover, and Zardoya’s captivating performance sent chills through the amphitheater.
Between various changes of different colored lights, the band continued to play songs throughout their discography, including “Heavy,” from their highly esteemed debut album, Cinema, and “Over The Moon,” from Superclean Vol. II. The various songs showcased the band’s continually evolving sound, while their effortless transitions and cohesive performance cemented their status as performers with unparalleled talent.
At one point in the show, Zardoya also made a point to call out to her Denver Latinx family, calling out, “Dónde está mi familia Latina en Denver?” (“Where is my Latinx family in Denver?”). She then proceeded to call out different countries, yelling out Puerto Rico, Colombia and Mexico, among other countries, before donning a large Puerto Rican flag wrapped around her to continue the performance. Zardoya then made her way through the stands while singing, reducing awestruck fans to tears as they had a chance to get close to the singer.
She then sang several songs before taking a moment to say, “Alright, Denver, I’ll give you a moment to FaceTime your ex.” Zardoya then began singing “Sienna,” a heartbreaking song exploring the possibilities and “what ifs” of a relationship that never saw its full potential.
Nearing the end of the performance, the stage went dark before Zardoya reemerged, singing “If Only” in a translucent bathtub on the stage. The equally heart-wrenching and sensual performance has been a highly anticipated focal point of The Marías set for their Submarine tour, with images from the moment being flooded across various social media platforms.
Indeed, watching Zardoya submerge herself in the water and move through the water on stage was like watching a theatrical masterpiece unfold on stage. The crowd was left speechless as the lights faded and Zardoya stepped backstage.
In her place, bandmate and drummer Josh Conway took over vocals to perform “Superclean” and take people all the way back to the band’s origins. The moment created a break in the show that allowed the band to switch things up before Zardoya returned in a white slip dress, holding a guitar to perform fan favorite, “No One Noticed.”
Zardoya also sang the extended Spanish version of the song, which heard loud cheers from throughout the crowd, before going on to sing “Ojos Tristes,” a collaborative piece with Selena Gomez and Benny Blanco, which was released this year. The song, which is featured on Gomez’ latest album, “I Said I Love You First”. The song has a deeply nostalgic feel to it and talks about a woman looking back on a love that she had to leave behind and features the lyrics “It’s not your fault I have to leave / Please don’t you look that way, baby / Those sad eyes, sad eyes / You know I don’t want to say goodbye / Don’t cry, don’t cry / Just hold me for one last time,” and “El Muchacho de los Ojos Tristes (“The Boy With Sad Eyes”).”
Under the blue lights, Zardoya curated a painful, piercingly emotional performance that reeled the audience in. The slow beat of the song and her wispy vocals perfectly encapsulated the sense of remorse, paired with longing, that the song expresses through its gut-wrenching emotional tone.
For their encore, the lights shifted to a warm orange before Zardoya took a moment to thank the audience, as well as the beautiful nature at Red Rocks, for sharing their time with the band. “This is our last song, so let’s make it count. I’m going to miss y’all,” Zardoya called out. “Just be here in the moment with us; this is the only moment that exists. Anything that happened five seconds ago [and] five seconds from now it doesn’t exist. The only thing that matters is right here right now, so just live it however you want to live it.”
The band then began to play “Cariño,” from Superclean Vol. II, and Zardoya took one last lap through the stands to greet fans. As the song came to a close, Zardoya once again thanked fans for coming out, expressing her gratitude while waving a final goodbye, The Marías’ evocative set at Red Rocks seared into the memories of all in attendance.
All photography by Valerie Davis,