Concert Review: Melanie Martinez Brings HADES to Life at the Kia Center in Orlando
On July 30, Melanie Martinez brought HADES: THE SACRIFICE TOUR to
Orlando’s Kia Center, bringing the dystopian world of her latest album to the
stage through elaborate production, choreography, and visual storytelling.
HADES is rooted in social commentary, using its dystopian setting to reflect
and criticize elements of the world we live in today. That message carried
directly into the live production. Rather than simply performing the album
against elaborate backdrops, Martinez used the stage to represent many of
the ideas woven throughout the record physically.
Buildings, characters, costumes, choreography, and props changed as the
night progressed, turning the stage into an exaggerated reflection of familiar
institutions and social structures.
Welcome to HADES
From the beginning, it was clear that the production wasn’t simply there to
provide a backdrop for Martinez.
The stage was constantly changing around her. Large structures filled the
space, fog covered the floor, and dancers moved throughout the
environments created for each part of the show. The scale of the production
helped turn the ideas within HADES into something the audience could
physically see.
That was especially apparent during the four songs I photographed:
“GRUDGES,” “MONOPOLY MAN,” “AVOIDANT,” and “MONOLITH.”
Throughout these performances, Martinez stood out in vivid shades of pink
against dancers dressed in more muted tones. Even as the stage filled with
movement, she remained the visual center of the production.
The dancers also played a much larger role than simply accompanying her.
They surrounded Martinez, lifted her from the stage, and moved around her in
formations that constantly shifted with the music.
More Than a Backdrop
The set design became another way of communicating the ideas behind the
album.
During “MONOPOLY MAN,” for example, a towering bank became part of the
stage. Within an album centered on social critique, imagery like this gave the
music's themes a physical presence.
That relationship between the music and its visuals continued throughout the
night. Every new environment felt connected to the larger dystopian society
Martinez was presenting rather than an isolated set built for a single song.
Through the Camera and From the Crowd
Photographing a show like THE SACRIFICE meant constantly deciding where
to look.
Moments were happening across the entire stage: dancers moving in different
directions, Martinez interacting with them, sets changing behind the
performers, and lighting altering the scene from one second to the next.
Some of the strongest visuals weren’t limited to the stage.
Thousands of phone lights illuminated the Kia Center, creating another layer
behind Martinez and her dancers. From the audience, the lights stretched
across the arena while the performance continued below.
After photographing “GRUDGES,” “MONOPOLY MAN,” “AVOIDANT,” and
“MONOLITH,” I was able to put the camera down and experience the rest of
the show from the audience.
It gave me a different perspective on the production. Instead of concentrating
on individual moments through the viewfinder, I could see how the complete
stage, choreography, and visuals worked together.
HADES: THE SACRIFICE showed how much a concert’s production can add
when it is treated as part of the storytelling rather than decoration.
Martinez didn’t simply perform HADES for Orlando. She brought her ideas to
the stage.
The choreography, costumes, characters, scenery, and lighting worked in
tandem with the music to visualize the social commentary at the center of the
album. By performing HADES in its entirety, Martinez also gave those ideas
time to develop without breaking away from the story to revisit another era.
Set List
A-Stage
1. GARBAGE
2. IS THIS A CULT?
3. POSSESSION
4. WHITE BOY WITH A GUN
5. DISNEY PRINCESS
B-Stage
6. GRUDGES
7. MONOPOLY MAN
8. AVOIDANT
9. MONOLITH
10. WEIGHT WATCHER
A- Stage
11. THE PLAGUE
12. BATSHIT INTELLIGENCE
13. GUTTER
14. UNCANNY VALLEY
15. THE VATICAN
16. HELL’S FRONT PORCH
17. CHATROOM
Encore: B-Stage
18. THE LAST TWO PEOPLE ON EARTH
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