Not For Radio Concert Review

Not For Radio Concert Review

The United Theater on Broadway, Los Angeles

Tuesday, January 27, 2026

Raw. Vulnerable. Powerful. Three words that only begin to describe the Not For Radio show at the United Theater on Broadway on January 27th, 2026. A Broadway-level production inside a pristine, almost unreal venue helped paint the world Maria Zardoya created while performing her debut solo album, Melt. Gothic, almost European architecture. Couture costume changes. Beautiful live orchestral arrangements. It transported the audience to a time when performances felt intentional, when you could tell real thought and love had been poured into every second.

Over the past year, it’s been impossible to ignore the meteoric rise of The Marías. It really is no surprise though. Even back on their first EPs, that same attention to detail and serene, vast soundscape was there. It was always just a matter of time before the rest of the world caught up. When Maria announced Not For Radio last August, fans were curious what more she could share. Submarine had already shown a far more vulnerable and honest point of view than ever before. So hearing even more from her — even deeper — felt special.

When the Winter in the Garden tour was announced, it sold out instantly. Resale prices skyrocketed. But for the final show at the United Theater on Broadway, Maria and her team did something bold: tickets would only be sold at the box office the day before. Some fans lined up overnight. The race was on. I was lucky enough to get one, and the anticipation was palpable. Melt was one of my top albums of 2025, so finally stepping into the world Maria built for this show felt extremely promising.

It was my first time at the United Theater, and it truly is a gem. Walking inside felt like stepping into a dark, twisted cathedral. The gothic interior alone makes you stop and look up. The crystal dome in the ceiling shimmered even before the show began. Even the air felt dramatic. Before heading to my seat, I was handed a playbill with thank you notes from Maria and the band, along with the breakdown of the show’s three acts:

Act I — Enchanted Fireflies
Act II — A Swan in the Night
Act III — The Underworld

Act I opened with “Puddles.” As the velvet curtain rose, Maria appeared in an Alexander McQueen Autumn/Winter 2025 couture piece — white ruffles cascading off her shoulders like swan feathers. The stage was simple but striking: a moss-covered circular platform, fog hugging the floor, and a singular spotlight shining behind her, casting a glowing silhouette into the crowd.

“Moment” followed, and her writing truly shined. Lyrics like “heaven is a place beside you, when we’re walking by the shore” felt even more powerful live, carried by the band behind her ethereal voice. “Magnet” and a new track, “Living Room,” leaned into the album’s vulnerable, slightly trippy nature — “Somewhere in my living room, horses over the moon…” The set design elevated it all: a dirt-like path on stage lined with tiny glowing lights that pulsed like fireflies to the beat. It felt intimate. Intentional. Like being invited into a dream.

Act I closed with “Water on Your Nose,” and the room went completely silent before a prerecorded narration introduced the story of Act II.

Act II was my favorite of the night. It featured the most ethereal and spacey moments of the album and included a stunning cover of “Nude” by Radiohead. It began with “My Turn,” and you could hear people around me choking up. Not loud crying — just quiet sniffles and heavy breathing. “Comet” brought a slightly more uptempo shift, which was a welcome change from the blissful drift of the earlier songs.

The highlight of the act was “Nude.” Maria’s voice over the delicate arrangement created a surreal moment. The echo inside the gothic interior wrapped around the entire room. You could feel the vibration in your chest.

Then came “Swan.” Maria, the white swan, sang of her loving intentions — wanting to love the way a swan does. One partner for life. A beautiful, almost unattainable ideal that so many of us strive for. And just when the song felt like it was floating into its final moments, a black swan entered the stage. Dressed in stark contrast, the black swan joined her and physically carried Maria across the moss-covered platform while she continued singing. It was theatrical. Symbolic. Almost mythic. The imagery of white and black swans intertwined under gothic arches felt cinematic — like something out of a dark ballet.

As the curtain dropped, a projected image of a swan appeared. Surprisingly, some people began leaving, as if they believed the show had ended. Even though the playbill clearly listed three acts. It was a small but telling moment — like some people thought the fairytale was over.

But Act III, “The Underworld,” was still to come.

The final act leaned into heartbreak. “Not the Only One” was deeply moving — an admission that romantic ghosts linger, even when walls remain high. “Vueltas,” sung in Spanish, hit especially hard. Even when praying to God to release a past love, sometimes even God can’t undo what lives in your heart. It was one of the most vulnerable moments of the night.

She performed another new song, “Ache,” which ended up being my favorite of the three new tracks. There was something about its restraint — its quiet intensity — that lingered.

The show closed with “Back to You,” a tear-jerker that many fans speculate could be a sister track to “Back to Me.” As the curtain dropped one final time, a cursive “The End” was projected onto the velvet backdrop. Theatrical. Dramatic. Complete.

The night was beautiful. It showed us more of the creative mind of Maria Zardoya — more vulnerable, more expansive, more personal. And the United Theater proved to be the perfect vessel for what many are calling album of the year 2025.

Full Setlist

Act I — Enchanted Fireflies
Puddles
Moment
Magnet
Living Room
Water On Your Nose

Act II — A Swan in the Night
My Turn
Comet
Slip
Nude (Radiohead cover)
Swan

Act III — The Underworld
Not the Only One
Vueltas
No One Noticed (The Marías cover, with new lyrics)
Ache
Back to You