Martina Sorbara aka Dragonette performs at Union Stage on March 23, 2023. (Photo by Mickey McCarter)
In the past, fans often used the name Dragonette to refer to Canadian singer-songwriter Martina Sorbara although the band was technically a trio until 2016.
Today, Martina alone is officially Dragonette, and she is on a North American Tour in support of a new album, Twennies. With her refreshed act, Dragonette was eager to perform the new songs live at Union Stage in DC recently for a jubilant and attentive audience.
Martina showcased the new album at Union Stage on March 23, dedicating roughly a third of her show to it. She performed the title track at about the two-thirds mark, striking the themes of yearning for younger days and being pulled into modern times or “The ’20s,” aka the current decade.
The new Dragonette songs were full of sentimentality — and they shined with the project’s anticipated electro-pop sheen. They were perhaps a touch more subdued than some of the spikier jams of the past but still very much dance tunes. Dragonette lured the willing crowd into the new tunes early in the show with “T-Shirt,” a song in which the narrator clearly yearns for the affection of her beloved but denies it.
Watch the official music video for “T-Shirt” by Dragonette on YouTube:
When attending a Dragonette concert, the audience really wants to hear that signature Martina vocal — the sometimes chipper, sometimes sultry Dragonette tone — and in this she did not disappoint. Martina began the show with catalog standout “Easy” from the 2009 Dragonette album, Fixing to Thrill, which stands as a fantastic and potent album. Twennies is the fifth full-length studio album under the Dragonette banner, and Martina revisited at least one selection from each album, charming with “I Get Around” from debut Galore in the middle of the show and nodding to fourth record Royal Blues with “Body 2 Body” at the top.
Third album Bodyparts (2012) received a fair share of attention with four selections, including another one of the best Dragonette songs, “Live in This City” in the encore. To my ear, many of Dragonette’s standout earlier songs were distinguished by a new wave character and a tendency to rock out, and the new tunes are more sleek. But whether with a roar or a purr, Martina sang her heart out at Union Stage to a buoyant crowd who lapped up every word.
Dragonette has a few dates in her current North American tour remaining next week. But we will most assuredly see her again soon. You cannot stop a woman with this much energy and such a love of performing!
Here are some photos of Dragonette performing at Union Stage on March 23, 2023.
