Marian Hill at Wonder Ballroom
Philadelphia duo Marian Hill touched down in PDX earlier this week where a warm reception awaited at the Wonder Ballroom. Comprising vocalist Samantha Gongol and keyboardist Jeremy Lloyd, along with frequent collaborator, bassist and saxophonist Steve Davit, the trio brought a healthy dose of modern day, jazz-infused electro-R&B.
It might have been difficult to guess it was a Tuesday night as the Portland audience was out in full force: singing, sauntering, and matching every ounce of energy the group brought to their performance. From the smiles on Gongol it was clear the band felt both humbled and supported by the Northwest crowd. Running through the majority of their catalog (two EPs, Play and Sway along with the new LP Act One) the band looked comfortable in its material and the crowd enjoyed hearing the songs they knew best. While a celebrated cover of Whitney Houston’s “I Wanna Dance With Somebody” certainly pleased many, true highlights came when Davit played live sax atop Soundcloud hits “One Time” and show closer “Got It.”»
– Greg LeMieux
