Review | Everyone Noticed — Sinking into The Marías for the Submarine Tour at the Santa Barbara Bowl

One of the most anticipated shows of the Bowl season saw the return of The Marías to Santa Barbara. A Los Angeles–based, bilingual indie psych-band, whose last visit to town was in 2018 for a more intimate crowd at SOhO Music Club, The Marías are coming off a standout performance at Coachella in April, along with the success of their 2024 album, Submarine, and they enchanted a sold-out crowd with their Submarine Tour.

Submarine, The Marías’ second studio album, is the byproduct stemming from a romantic breakup between lead singer María Zardoya and drummer Josh Conway sometime in 2022. The Marías took a brief hiatus as a band that year, but about six months later returned to making music as a band while using the pain of love lost to fuel Submarine. 

[Click to zoom] Opening act Julie at the Santa Barbara Bowl July 19, 2025 | Photo: Carl Perry

Zardoya, the Puerto Rican–born vocalist, mesmerized the entire night. Her ethereal vocals and elegant sway, paired with her stylish vintage black dress, enhanced her already undeniable aura. The Marías — consisting of core members Jesse Perlman (guitar), Edward James (keyboard), and Conway (drums) — played with otherworldly chemistry, flowing from vibey guitar riffs, lush synths, steady percussion, and even the occasional brass horn. 

Zardoya began the night, only visible as a silhouette, singing “Hamptons” from behind an opaque grey ring, which was one part of the band’s stage structure that vaguely resembled a submarine. As she surfaced from behind a screen, The Marías submerged fans into their catalog of genre-fusing songs from albums such as Submarine; CINEMA; Superclean Vol 1.; and Superclean Vol 2. 

Highlights included a cover of The Cardigans’ song “Lovefool” as an outro on the song “Run Your Mouth” that blended perfectly, as the crowd sang along to the 30-year-old classic. Then “Only in My Dreams” followed, which was the first song I ever heard from The Marías and remains one of my most often-played songs on Spotify. Zardoya nestled herself into a glowing blue circle on the stage as bubbles appeared and floated around her as she gracefully sang the neo-psychedelic song. 

As The Marías dove deeper into their emo-submarine of music, songs like “Hush” kept me engaged. The funky, upbeat bass lines, including some grunge vocals from Conway, showed off The Marías’ range and versatility. While the nature of most of The Marías’ songs cater to feelings of solace and sorrow, ultimately the songs lead into finding ways to overcome the pain and learn from it for the better. That led me to assume maybe the energy of the show might be more tame as the night went on. Until, “Otro Atardecer” — a song they recorded with Latin superstar Bad Bunny that now has more than half a billion streams on Spotify — brought a surge of energy to the crowd. Zardoya then stepped down from the stage while performing, draped in a Puerto Rican flag, and ran along the lower levels of the Bowl, engaging with the audience and briefly serenading one lucky fan. 

[Click to zoom] The Marias at the Santa Barbara Bowl July 19, 2025 | Photo: Carl Perry

The Marías’ performance concluded with three of their most recognized songs. The popular, “No One Noticed (Extended Spanish version)” cross faded flawlessly into one of their newer features, with Selena Gomez, “Ojos Tristes,” a deeply soulful and emotional tune that samples the 1981 song, “El Muchacho de los Ojos Tristes” by Jeanette. Last, but certainly not least, was a grand finale performance of the song “Cariño.”

The Marías will continue to ride the wave of their Submarine Tour through September, allowing everyone to notice their soulful and timeless live performances.