Fans braved the cold and flurries on Friday, February 6 and got out to see DC locals Marilyn Hucek and MADDIE during the last show of Hucek’s first-ever headline tour. The show was originally scheduled for January 24, but was cancelled due to the snowstorm.

Opening up the show was MADDIE, power pop singer-songwriter with Barbie energy in the best way possible. Joined by Trey Sorrells on the keys, MADDIE performed originals "Horoscope", "Tell Me What To Do", "Breakfast in Bed", and "Flirty Little Fling", as well as a cover of Espresso by Sabrina Carpenter. Flirty Little Fling got the crowd jumping, and MADDIE’s music is definitely best enjoyed while wearing big hoop earrings.

Hucek opened the last performance of her debut headline tour with "Rebound" and "I Tried", both songs about trials in love set to catchy melodies. She was joined by Daniel Geiss on the bass, Hays Dowdy on the electric guitar, and Izik Raphael on the drums. Hucek’s music takes on an acoustic pop sound, reminiscent of Taylor Swift’s early-2010s sound with storytelling at the core of her writing. Her debut album, MARILYN, is about celebrating “girlhood, womanhood, and everything in between,” Hucek said during the show.

Two songs in particular stood out to me: "Man of the House" and "Neil Young". Man of the House is just one song in Hucek’s catalog that showcases the intersection of her musical and personal influences. She dedicated the song to “anybody who’s ever had to grow up fast, who’s ever had to take on a lot more responsibility than they’re ready for.”

Neil Young is an homage to Hucek’s father who struggled with early-onset Alzheimer’s before passing away three years ago. Hucek shared with the audience that one significant way she stayed connected with him was through music, even after he couldn’t recall her name. Hucek performed the song and left several in the audience misty-eyed. After leading the audience in the bridge, she announced 5% of all proceeds from her streams and $3 of every vinyl purchase goes to the Alzheimer’s Association.

This show in particular was special for several reasons, Hucek revealed halfway through the show: not only would Hucek celebrate her birthday at midnight, but it also marked the celebration of life for her father. The night itself was marked by bittersweet moments, and yet they only added to the power of Hucek’s performance.

The whole night felt vulnerable yet passionate, especially since it included covers of Pink Pony Club by Chappel Roan and Vivir Mi Vida by Marc Anthony. Hucek is American-Chilean, and she introduced Vivir Mi Vida by promising the crowd that they were going to have some fun with it. Both songs had the crowd singing along and dancing, and it was a fun and heartwarming display of how music can bring people together in both joy and vulnerability.

Hucek also performed her song "Me Salvaste El Alma", a song with lyrics in Spanish that translates to “You Saved My Soul.” She said the song is about someone who comes into your life and saves you in ways you never expected, following the theme of vulnerability and joy in that vulnerability.

The core of each song was rooted in a story or directly related to something bigger than Hucek herself, which is a part of the reason why I feel her music feels so authentic and powerful. Hucek joked during her performance that “we’re gonna get vulnerable, it’s all about healing,” but that’s just what makes her storytelling so raw. Whether you typically enjoy pop or not, you can’t deny that there is true artistry in Hucek’s music and even more so in her performance.

The first track from MARILYN is called "I Made It", and Hucek wrote it on a road trip to Nashville. Hucek told the crowd that she doesn’t listen to music or podcasts when she drives and she quite enjoys silence, but it was getting to her on this trip—she ended up writing I Made It during that roadtrip as she was thinking about how to define success. Hucek’s mother was present in the crowd, and Hucek sang the last chorus directly to her mother at the front of the crowd, which was a powerful triumph, especially on the last night of her debut tour.

Hucek capped off the night with several unreleased songs: "Polar Plunge", "Animal House", and "Self-Destruct". Before performing “Self-Destruct,” Hucek commented that she was convinced she was “sitting on gold” and couldn’t wait to release it. Given the reception by the audience, Hucek is right, and these songs are going to be the next hits from Hucek.

The crowd sang Happy Birthday to Hucek at the end of the show and begged for an encore, but the band swore they didn’t have one prepared. We’ll just have to look out for Hucek’s next live show.