Concert Review: girl in red at The Eastern

girl in red was wild. Censored verbiage cannot describe the energy she brought to The Eastern. Her performance was an onslaught of catchy, bombastic tunes with a sprinkling of slowed down moments. Despite not being super familiar with her music, only a couple of songs, I was instantly drawn in by her performance.

Originally set to play Atlanta's Terminal West in May of 2020, girl in red took the stage almost two years later at a venue three times the size. 2,200 people squeezed into every open space of The Eastern's many balconies and overlooks to pack out the first night of tour.

girl in red is the music project of Norwegian musician Marie Ulven Ringheim. Her distinct brand of indie-pop has garnered her a lot of critical praise and a fiercely loyal fan base. Loyal enough to toss her a couple of gifts (i.e. a hat and a couple of bras) throughout the show.

English singer/songwriter Holly Humberstone opened the night to applause. While not her show, the crowd was more than excited for her set. Solo, Holly hopped from guitar to keys with ease, cycling between three different set ups on stage. Looping and tracks helped her present a full band sound single handedly. Her singing and instrumentation was soft and delicate, but she was not afraid to open up and let go when the time was right. "Falling Asleep at the Wheel" is still a favorite after hearing it live.

The show was bass heavy, a lot more than you'd expect, but it was exactly what it needed. Marie had a five piece band backing her who were more than ready to party. She also took on guitar, but that didn't stop her from her stage antics. Jumping from soft and simmer vocals to full on belts, girl in red was more than dynamic enough to put on a good performance.

Despite being such a big and bombastic show, girl in red knows how to keep things intimate. From singing on the edge of the stage to acoustic renditions of songs, Marie managed to bring the energy down just enough to keep it balanced. She also had plenty of stage banter, talking with members of the audience, reading signs, and shouting out birthdays. She just genuinely seemed so happy to be playing.

I'm honestly amazed at the amount of energy Marie had. There was very little time for rest. On the first song Marie kicked and jumped across the stage to eventually leap into the crowd and mosh. Not long after that she made another jump, this time to ride the waves of her loyal fans across the top of the crowd.

Marie filled out her setlist with all the hits,  "Serotonin," "I'll Call You Mine," and "we fell in love in october." She even decided to do an acoustic version and full band version of "we fell in love in october" after a crowd vote couldn't decide which way to play the song. 

          1. You Stupid B****

          2. Body And Mind

          3. girls

          4. .

          5. i'll die anyway.

          6. Apartment 402

          7. we fell in love in october (acoustic)

          8. we fell in love in october

          9. I'll Call You Mine (acoustic)

          10. hornylovesickmess

          11. Serotonin

          12. 4am

          13. dead girl in the pool.

          14. midnight love

          15. Rue

          -

          16. Did You Come?

          17. i wanna be your girlfriend

girl in red is just getting started. Her first full North American tour is completely sold out across the US and Canada. Marie's UK and Europe tour is also completely sold out. girl in red's North American dates are listed below.

          3/08 Nashville, TN — Brooklyn Bowl* (SOLD OUT)

          3/09 Asheville, NC — Orange Peel* (SOLD OUT)

          3/11 Washington D.C. — 9:30 Club* (SOLD OUT)

          3/12 Baltimore, MD — Ram's Head Live* (SOLD OUT)

          3/14 Brooklyn, NY — Brooklyn Steel* (SOLD OUT)

          3/15 Brooklyn, NY — Brooklyn Steel* (SOLD OUT)

          3/16 Philadelphia, PA — Union Transfer (SOLD OUT)

          3/18 Boston, MA — Paradise Rock Club* (SOLD OUT)

          3/19 Montréal, QC — Club Soda* (SOLD OUT)

          3/20 Toronto, ON — Queen Elizabeth Theatre* (SOLD OUT)

          3/22 Detroit, MI — Majestic Theater* (SOLD OUT)

          3/23 Columbus, OH — Kemba Live!* (SOLD OUT)

          3/24 Chicago, IL — Metro* (SOLD OUT)

          3/27 Milwaukee, WI — The Rave* (SOLD OUT)

          3/28 Minneapolis, MN — First Avenue* (SOLD OUT)

          3/29 Kansas City, MO — The Truman* (SOLD OUT)

          3/31 Austin, TX — Emo's* (SOLD OUT)

          4/01 Houston, TX — House of Blues* (SOLD OUT)

          4/02 Dallas, TX — House of Blues* (SOLD OUT)

          4/03 Tulsa, OK — Cane's Ballroom* (SOLD OUT)

          4/05 Englewood, CO — Gothic Theatre* (SOLD OUT)

          4/06 Salt Lake City, UT — The Complex* (SOLD OUT)

          4/08 Seattle, WA — Showbox Sodo* (SOLD OUT)

          4/09 Portland, OR — Roseland Theater* (SOLD OUT)

          4/11 San Francisco, CA — Regency Ballroom* (SOLD OUT)

          4/12 San Francisco, CA — Regency Ballroom* (SOLD OUT)

          4/16 Indio, CA — Coachella

          4/21 Pomona, CA — The Glasshouse* (SOLD OUT)

          4/22 Phoenix, AZ — Van Buren* (SOLD OUT)

          4/23 Indio, CA — Coachella

          * with Holly Humberstone

girl in red put on an amazing show. Her frantic movements across the stage, high energy action, and genuine love for performing was on full display for Atlanta.