MELANIE MARTINEZ AT THE UNDERGROUND IN CHARLOTTE

The line outside the venue wrapped around the building with fans dressed in their best baby doll outfits in anticipation of Melanie Martinez’s sold out show in Charlotte, NC. I saw a sign going through security warning patrons that perfume would be sprayed during the show; after reading that I knew I was in for a production. The inside of The Fillmore was packed to the brim with buzzing fans, and I had mentioned to the operations coordinator that it looked as though the show was oversold. What actually made the room more of a squeeze was the fact that Melanie needed a section of floor space stage left blocked off for all of her props and set pieces.

Unfortunately shortly before the show, the pit was closed off to press and we were to shoot from back of house. Unable to get any close shots or get a good look at the costuming was tough, but even from the back it was still one heck of a show. She played the new album, ‘K-12’ in its entirety from the beginning, and between each song there was a “lesson” from a teacher on screen that played and allowed the crew to do the set change. Each lesson pertained to some kind of value of self worth, which really resonated with her audience. Some of the more impressive set pieces included a large box with a heart cut out and restraints that the artist wore to simulate a puppet during “Show and Tell”, a very large dress skirt from the “Strawberry Shortcake” video that her dancers emerged from, and a clear wall during “Detention” at which “rotten fruit” was thrown at the singer like the music video.

The entire show was choreographed, which was very impressive to me for such a long production. There were also wardrobe changes for almost every song, not only for the artist, but the ensemble as well. The dancers definitely added to the show and the set designs didn't seem to overtake the actual singing. The moments in between certain songs were a bit long for my taste, but that might just be because I’m used to fast paced concerts. At the end, Melanie came back out and performed a few songs from her ‘Cry-Baby’ album, which the crowd went nuts for. Overall it was an amazing production and the MM team really outdid themselves with the show for the K-12 Tour.