The Marías Set the Perfect Mood at the Fillmore Miami Beach

On Saturday, the Marías, the internet's favorite Latin-tinged indie-pop band, touched down at the Fillmore Miami Beach for the first of two shows in support of their latest album, Submarine.

No matter how early you arrived, the line awaiting entry stretched to the Miami Beach Convention Center next door, and attendees skewed toward young women whose fashion sense matched that of Marías frontwoman María Zaradoya — which is to say plenty of flowy dresses paired with stylish sunglasses.

If the back-to-back shows and the long queue at the Fillmore didn't give it away, Miami is home to a massive Marías fan base, thanks in large part to the Latin influences that season the Los Angeles-based band's sound. One of the loudest cheers of the night came when Zardoya asked the audience where they were from.
"¿De dónde son? ¿Colombia?" was followed by a roar. Same for Zardoya's native Puerto Rico. And Venezuela. And Mexico. It seemed as if each group was trying to outdo one another, screaming at the top of their lungs.

So fervent are the band's fans that the night's hottest merch item was a signed copy of Submarine on vinyl in a special liquid-filled jacket.

The Marías took the stage at 9:10 p.m., kicking off their hour-and-a-half set with "Hamptons" and "Run Your Mouth" off Submarine, but they really hit their stride with "Only in My Dreams" (from their 2017 EP Superclean Vol. 1) and "Little by Little" (from their debut LP, 2021's Cinema).

Zardoya has a gift for subtle crowd interactions — gestures as simple as acknowledging fans with a wave as she sings or taking a fan's hand, she's remarkably adept at connecting with her audience beyond the music itself.

The stage lighting was instrumental in setting the show's vibe, going through shades of red, dark blue, and even sun-kissed orange during one number late in the set.
One of the evening's best moments came when, during "Ruthless," the Marías transitioned into a cover of the Cardigans' '90s bop "Lovefool." The Marías aren't new to covering classics, but their knack for taking another artist's work and making it sonically their own is nothing short of outstanding. (That wasn't the end, as "Lovefool" was then used to transition into "Care for You.")

Also worth noting is Zardoya's ability to weave between her soft vocals and regular speaking voice. Someone sitting nearby questioned whether she was using a backing track because her vocals and tones were so different—and impressively so. She takes it to an even higher level when she hops from her singing voice to her Puerto Rican-accented Spanish.

She gave a shout-out to one of her favorite artists, Bad Bunny, before kicking into a performance of their 2022 collab, "Otro Atardecer." The moment felt like a cheat code for the Marías — it's the band's most popular song, and in Miami, the crowd sang along with ease.
Later on, Zardoya and drummer/producer Josh Conway went into a bit of a storytime explaining the creation of fan favorite "Heavy" and why they needed to add it back into the setlist. By the opening drumbeat, the crowd was hyped.

A late-set swap brought a wardrobe change for Zardoya a bathtub brought onstage for "Just a Feeling" and "Ride." A piano was also wheeled out and, along with a trumpet, put to use as backing for "If Only."

That was followed by a performance of "All I Really Want Is You" before the show closed with the Marías' breakthrough hit, "Cariño."

Perhaps the only thing missing on night one at the Fillmore Miami Beach was that the stacked setlist didn't include "I Don't Know You." But no one said you can get everything you want.