A Story of Mars Landing: Thirty Seconds to Mars at Black Sea Arena

Review

A Mars landing is the landing of a spacecraft on the surface of Mars. Official data reports that, of many attempted Mars landings by robotic or unmanned spacecraft, eight have been successful...

On August 13, Georgia was the witness of the ninth successful “Mars Landing” as Thirty Seconds to Mars appeared on the stage of the Black Sea Arena.

It is impossible to put a finger on one reason the performance of the Leto siblings was so memorable. It could have been Jared Leto’s famous iconic look, or Shannon’s loud drumming talent, or the ‘whoa oh’ chants that united every single person in the venue, or the light crew’s amazing work, or the balloons and the confetti that were the backgrounder of the concert in a very Thirty Seconds to Mars style, or the perfect combination of respect of and expected manipulation with Georgian patriotism when Jared Leto waved a big Georgian flag, or the crowd itself – cheering, singing along to each word of every song, clearly enjoying every second of the show from the Oscar-winning actor and his talented, underappreciated brother. It could have been all of them.

When evaluating the outcomes of the Thirty Seconds to Mars’s concert, Executive Director of Black Sea Arena, Tato Kharchilava talked briefly about the Georgian-flag-waving-in-the-hands-of-an-international-superstar incident, calling it a “surreal feeling.” And though it is a classic Leto move to do so during his concerts, the sight actually brought the audience Closer to the Edge.

Despite the shining looks, the lead singer was very approachable – constantly conversing with the crowd, having them sing along and bringing numerous fans to the stage. Leto expressed his affection for Georgia, saying: “Amazing venue. Amazing people. Amazing nature. Amazing food. What’s not to love about Georgia?” What’s more, the international superstar vowed to the audience that the performance would not be their last in Georgia. He apologized, saying “we should have come here 10 years ago.” Incidentally, during the years 2009-2012 the band was at its peak in Georgia. Many of those gathered have been followers of the Leto brothers’ musical project since then, this author included. Mariam, an excited fan, shared her sentiments with GEORGIA TODAY, saying: “I have been dreaming about this day since 2009. I still can’t believe I have seen them live. I am forever grateful to Black Sea Arena for finally making it happen.”

The Thirty to Seconds Mars show brought other benefits, and Executive Director of Black Sea Arena, Tato Kharchilava, told press that the concert had a high foreign attendence. “According to the most recent data, this concert sold a record number of tickets to foreigners.” Inarguably, that follows up the Spend Your Summer in Georgia campaign.

The Black Sea Arena event gave Georgia an unforgettable performance from Thirty Seconds to Mars, a rise in the tourist sector and an alternative of David Bowie’s lyrics to Life on Mars: “We’re in the best selling show. There is a life on Mars.”

By Nini Dakhundaridzde