[Review] Mariah the Scientist’s To Be Eaten Alive Tour

A sea of red lined up outside the Joy Theater for the first of two sold-out shows. Mariah the Scientist’s To Be Eaten Alive Tour made its way to New Orleans on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Chxrry22

Chxrry22 opened up the show. In short, the R&B songstress may be a rising star but her stage presence would have you thinking otherwise. She naturally captivated the crowd with her vocals, dance moves, and charisma. Her set included songs from her recent EP, Siren, and debut EP, The Other Side.

What stood out to me was how she engaged with the crowd (and how they engaged back)! I overheard concert-goers in the front row screaming “I like you” and “I just downloaded this song” throughout her 30-minute-long set. And not everyone was unfamiliar with the Toronto native. In the front were a couple of diehard Chxrry22 fans, including one who runs a fan page for the singer! After spotting her cherry bomb shirt and sign, she dedicated “Ride 4 Me” to the super fan.

It’s easy to see why she is the first woman signed to The Weeknd’s XO Records. Her infectious energy solidifies that she has a bright future ahead of her and is an artist to watch!

Mariah the Scientist

Fans began to get antsy around 9:45 pm chanting Mariah the Scientist’s name as another R&B song played throughout the venue. Just before 10 pm, the Atlanta native took the stage.

Last March, Mariah the Scientist opened for Future & Friends’ One Big Party Tour at the Smoothie King Center. Since then, the 26-year-old has signed with Epic Records, released her third studio album, To Be Eaten Alive, and received her first entry onto the Billboard Hot 100. Now she is playing two sold-out headlining shows at the Joy Theater.

Mariah kept it simple with production and stage design – no backup singer, no dancers. Just her, her microphone, and visuals in the background. While most visuals were clips from her music videos, there were also snippets of popular movie scenes including the 2021 film, “Malcolm & Marie” starring Zendaya and Tom Cruise’s 2010 film, “Knight and Day.”

In terms of setlist, she opened the show with “Good Times,” a track from her recent album. Throughout the night, Mariah performed tracks like “Beetlejuice, “IDGAF,” “Love Sick,” and “Stone Cold.” I loved that it was an all-ages show. I spotted a young fan on her mom’s shoulders singing along to every song and five feet away was a group of tipsy concertgoers dancing on each other. By the end of the night, everyone was in a circle belting the lyrics to Mariah the Scientist’s final two songs, “Spread Thin” and “From a Woman” to each other. The perfect depiction of one of my favorite parts about music — it brings people together no matter their age, gender, race, ethnicity, or background.

Before leaving, Mariah the Scientist thanked attendees for “selling the place out two nights back to back.” She expressed her gratefulness for their support and encouraged them to bring a friend next time they see her when she returns!