The New Era of girl in red

By: Michael O’Shea

"You need to accept this. This is the new era of me," Marie Ulven, known by her stage name girl in red, declared at her Washington D.C. show. "I'm theatrical!" As she sings in the opening song of her new album, she is back and better than ever.

Much like the guitar she often played, Ulven's performance at The Anthem on Saturday was electrifying (although for a few songs, she played the acoustic guitar). Ulven is on her Doing It Again World Tour, following the recent release of her sophomore album, I'M DOING IT AGAIN BABY! The tour started on Tuesday in Boston and will continue through October 5.

Ulven was supported by the indie rock band Momma. The band, which hails from Los Angeles, is made up of singers Etta Friedman and Allegra Weingarten, producer/bassist Aron Kobayashi Ritch, and drummer Preston Fulks. They started their set with "Medicine," and went on to play a few more songs, including some new ones.

Fans lined up for the sold-out show long before the doors opened, many wearing red outfits and accessories, namely red ties akin to the one worn by Ulven in the "I'm Back" music video. Upon entering the venue, we were greeted by a primary color set, which she later told us was inspired by Italian lamps.

To kick off her performance, Ulven played the album's title track, "DOING IT AGAIN BABY," while the venue was completely bathed in red light, living up to her stage name. This song, paired with "I'm Back," which was performed on a keyboard hidden in the set, largely focuses on Ulven's readiness to return to music after over a year. The show smoothly transitioned between upbeat rock songs, heartfelt piano ballads, and alternative pop classics like "girls" and "we fell in love in october."

Although there were a few technical difficulties that would normally affect my enjoyment of a show, Ulven handled them gracefully. When the keyboard stopped working, she quickly changed the set and, to my delight and that of many others, played "I'll Call You Mine" on the acoustic guitar. After a later costume change, she had some microphone issues but played it off with some casual stage banter.

Ulven captured everyone's attention with highly energetic vocals, frequent audience interaction, and a running joke about a banana. "Jump!" she often commanded, and the audience followed, jumping along to a chorus or verse, while Ulven let loose and danced onstage, running around while eye-catching visuals lit up the screen behind her. She also gave an audience member a microphone to sing Sabrina Carpenter's verse during the song "You Need Me Now?"

To end the show, Ulven performed one of her older and most iconic songs, "i wanna be your girlfriend." However, this rendition was elevated when she led and participated in a mosh pit, crowd surfing back to the stage when it was finished. This conclusion was reminiscent of her 2022 make it go quiet tour, which she ended the same way.

Overall, the girl in red concert was one of the most refreshing and engaging concerts I've been to in a while. I walked away loving the album much more than when I came in. Her self-declared theatricality showed through surprises like hidden pianos and rising platforms. It was clear she had fun while performing, and that made it all the more enjoyable.