Marika Hackman
Words: Sean Moore / Photos: Madeline Rheaume
Marika Hackman has been making music since 2012 and this was her first time in Maine. The small Portland crowd gathered in Port City Music Hall was clearly comprised of devoted fans who’ve been anticipating her first gig in town, as everyone danced and hopped up and down on their feet while singing along to her genre-defying songs.
Marika started the night off with “Wanderlust” from her stellar new album Any Human Friend. It was a quiet start to her set before the band, Girl Friday, who actually played the opening slot came out and backed her up. With the all-female band in place and ready, they kicked into “The One,” which according to Marika is, “a saucy little number” and is clearly a highlight of the new record.
Hackman has been touring in support of perhaps her career-defining album, one that hopefully catapults her into the mainstream, although she seems very content to be flying a bit under the radar. New songs, like “The One” and “All Night” and “I’m Not Where You Are,” sound absolutely incredible live and do not get lost in translation from the synth-pop sound on the record to the full band transformation. In fact, Girl Friday, amplified each tune they played with Marika and in my opinion really showcased Hackman’s songwriting ability. Veering into perhaps more mature and adult-themed lyrics, given the nature of the times Marika finds herself living in, she has admitted that these new songs are quite a bit “sexual and blunt, but not in an offensive way.” Case in point, when she sings “love me more/rub me til my ego is raw/I’ve got BDE/I think it’s a venereal disease” from “The One.” She handles being an adult and her experiences with a hint of humor, as witnessed through her pure enjoyment and smiles during these newer songs. It’s almost like she’s inviting the audience to loosen up with her.
She played older tunes like “My Lover Cindy” and an ode to her best friend, “Gina’s World,” who happened to be running the merch table in the back of the room. The band left the stage after this song and Hackman played a few songs solo, positioned in the middle of her set with intention and purpose. “Cigarette,” Ophelia,” as well as “Drown” are all very understated and mood-driven quiet songs, meant to draw the audience’s attention to her ability to craft a well-written song. I nearly cried during her emotional cover of Elliott Smith’s “Between the Bars” as the original is itself, a heartstring-tugging song and I can appreciate a solid cover when done well. This particular cover felt like a special treat and I thoroughly enjoyed her inclusion of this short solo set, as it reminded me of her very early, more acoustic-driven songs that made me a fan originally. Sometimes, it can be hard for an artist to transition from their original sound to a sound that seems more popular and “radio friendly,” but Hackman’s songs work well within this new form.
After all these songs, especially the brief solo set, it was hard to believe it could possibly get better, but then Marika and her band turned it up another notch or two with incredible versions of “Conventional Ride,” “Blow,” and “Hand Solo” (all from the new album) which allowed Hackman to display her guitar-playing talent by extending these tunes with an alternative rock flair that made the crowd react with loud applause. Complete with guitar solos and hair whipping around, Hackman played the chords with a sort of rock star style and grace. The entire night, I kept thinking that Hackman comes off as a near-perfect product of cross-pollination of the ‘90s alternative rock, indie pop, and indie folk scenes. Not only with her sound, but even her physical presentation brought to mind the early ‘90s grunge, alternative fashion, as she wore an oversized, unbuttoned flannel shirt over a red, cartoon animal design t-shirt and Converse sneakers (a la Kurt Cobain notoriety). Her demeanor was also very appreciative, yet confidently nonchalant, as she really allowed her songs to speak volumes and garner the attention. Taking all of these observations in throughout the night, I could not help but think if Hackman was indeed wise beyond her 27 years, at very least in a musical sense.
Hackman was clearly having a blast playing her songs for the adoring crowd. At one point, Marika casually mentioned her thanks for “starting your Saturday night” with her, which invoked a girl in the crowd to respond, “Come to Bubba’s!” Confused, Marika replied, “Bubbles?! What is Bubbles?” and added, “I don’t know what’s happening right now.” The girl towards the front answered, “A sulky lounge,” which got quite a laugh from all the ladies on stage.
I’m not sure if Hackman and her band ended up at Bubba’s after the show, but I do know that quickly after her set, which did not include an encore, she made her way to the merch table, met and graciously conversed with a hoard of her fans that stuck around.
