It was a picture perfect August night in New York City, hardly a cloud in the sky, a slight breeze and zero humidity. While, we are no weather men or meteorologists, it was something to admire, especially when you are high atop the Mondrian SoHo at the trendy hotel's Penthouse with the Big Apple hugging your horizon. With the atmosphere and scenery set for Britain's Marina and the Diamonds, the pop sensation took to her microphone for a private acoustic concert that heard her play songs off her latest record, Electra Heart.
"Well, this is a lot different than London," Marina said when she first came to look at the crowd. The singer, who has been in the U.S. for the last six weeks on a partial headlining tour and opening for Coldplay, returned to New York for two sold-out gigs at Webster Hall and special appearances for the U.S. release of Electra Heart. For this performance, Marina showed what she was made of, a talented songwriter with a powerful voice, a spunky beauty that has no problem letting you know how she really feels and that she is not some studio creation. In a brief 30-minute set that had the the East Side of Manhattan, Queens and Brooklyn as her backdrop, the songs off Electra Heart sound even better stripped down and raw, after the records mediocre reaction from critics, Marina proved once and for all she wrote good songs and songs she can be proud of. Now, if only we can get an "Acoustic Heart" record—Marina, what do you think?