Mariah The Scientist Visits Providence (Article)
Mariah The Scientist graced the stage at The Strand in Providence, Rhode Island this past Friday night presented by Platinum Entertainment Group. First of all, a Friday night concert? The vibes were bound to be immaculate— and they were.
As I pulled up to the venue, the line was wrapped around the block so I knew it would be a packed show. You know if Mariah was going to do one thing it was bring the fly women out. Getting dressed for the concert is a big part of the experience. I always choose an outfit that’s thematically representative of the artist in some way. Whether it be the color scheme, pulling from an album cover, inspired by the artist’s personal style, or basing it off the vibes of the music. A Mariah The Scientist show was undeniably giving sexy. Red and Black was the unspoken color scheme to follow. The attendees understood the assignment.
The show opened with a DJ set from Providence’s own Cam Bells. Though I didn’t make it inside in time to catch the set, I have no doubts that it was fire.
Following Cam was the show’s opener: Chxrry22. I had been familiar with and a fan of her music beforehand so getting to see her live was a bonus. The vocals were on point and seeing her perform made me like her that much more. I love it when it works out that way. Chxrry22 as the choice for opener made so much sense. If anyone walked into that venue not a fan, I think they left one.
Before Mariah came on, we had another DJ set, this time from DJ Honey. And let me say, she knew exactly how to command the room. Kicking it off with “Get It Sexyy” by Sexyy Red immediately had the room jumping. She also played classic bangers like “Over” by Drake, “Itty Bitty Piggy” by Nicki Minaj, and had the whole crowd singing acapella to Keyshia Cole’s legendary hit “Love”. It was a MOMENT. As a person in the crowd and an aspiring DJ, seeing how lit everyone was is something I can’t wait to make people feel when it’s my turn behind the boards.
Around 10 PM, it was finally time. The stage lit up with a montage of Mariah-related photos. “Good Times” started playing in the background as she walked out, dressed head to toe in a red 2 piece outfit and matching pointed toe boots. The crowd went crazy. Listen, I’ve been to a lot of concerts. This was the most engaged crowd I have ever been a part of. Mariah really didn’t even have to sing a word for real because the audience had it on LOCK. Word for word, song after song, the crowd showed out again and again. If you’re chronically online, you know that Mariah is no stranger to receiving hate. I hope this served as a reminder that life exists after you close out those tabs and people are loved in real life.
Mariah proceeded to highlight some of her most reputable songs both old and new: “Bout Mine”, “Aura”, “Beetlejuice”, “77 Degrees”, “All For Me”, “Stone Cold”, and “Spread Thin” were among just some of the heaters we heard that night. The setlist was honestly sublime.
Capturing moments from this show was so much fun because the visuals were on 10. Shout to Mariah and the production team for real because the effort was felt. The backgrounds changed with each passing song and it enhanced the overall experience so much. It hits differently when everything comes together like that.
Mariah said that this had been the most lit stop on her tour so far. Whenever an artist says that you always question whether they say that to every crowd or not. After being a participant in this specific show, I know she was wholeheartedly telling the truth.
42 degrees in the city that night, and the energy was unmatched.