Thee Marloes Di Hotel Malibu Surabaya Showcase: A Full Circle Moment
[SURABAYA] Thee Marloes finally held a homecoming showcase for their sophomore album ‘Di Hotel Malibu’ with the help of Bojakrama on Saturday, August 8th, 2026. Located in Balai Sahabat Surabaya, the iconic legendary building fitted the band’s aesthetic like a glove. Bojakrama gave a nice touch to the existing retro interior that was already preserved well. You could sense the 70’s – 80’s aesthetic decoration with burgundy corduroy curtains, various vintage rugs, and several stairs on stage similar to those music shows in the past. Natassya Sianturi (vocal, keyboard,piano), Sinatrya Daraka (guitar) and Tommy Satwick (drum) were ready to deliver a soulful performance right from the start.
On 7.30 sharp, the trio began their set with a single taken from “Di Hotel Malibu” album. Natassya donned a sparkly crinkled dress in navy blue with voluminous bob hair and large hoop earrings, while Sinathrya Daraka chose his usual suit and tie combination in black and grey striped coat. Tommy Satwick opted for a more eccentric look by wearing a jacket with a unique pink ribbon as an accent. The rest of the band wore similar vintage aesthetic with their very own personal twist.
Natassya commanded the stage with her bright and bubbly personality while maintaining a crisp and perfectly pitched vocals. The singer and keyboardist wasn’t shy in telling a tidbits of story behind the songs that they performed that night. To the crowd, she said, “I had a hard time choosing my path in life. I cried a lot, I asked a lot, and I prayed a lot. Finally, I decided to pursue my dreams. My mom said I must be crazy, but here I am in front of all of you chasing my dream,” before continuing to perform “6 Years” from the band’s latest album.
Raka, as Sinatrya Daraka friendly referred to by his bandmates, represented by Natassya in telling stories behind the song he wrote called “Selatan” which was inspired by a brief moment that he decided to pursue his career in Jakarta. The song written in Indonesian, described the feeling of being lonely in a crowded place. Being alienated in a place far, far away from home as Raka felt back then, was captured in a beautiful, soulful, melancholic song.
“Boru” written by Natassya as an homage to her Batak lineage, was sung proudly in front of her family members who attended that night. The title which means ‘daughter’, does not only honor the musician’s heritage, but also inspires many ‘daughters’ out there to keep reaching their dreams and live their lives beautifully. After several back to back songs, the band took a break of up to 15 minutes to give the audience a chance to buy their official merchandise located upon the entrance and rehydrate with beverage vendors nearby.
Thee Marloes continued their set with one of the slower tempo song on their second album called “Di Dalam”. They also sang several hits from their debut album “Perak” with tracks like “Midnight Hotline” and “Not Today” which made the crowd sing in unison. After performing across several cities in the United States and Canada, Natassya admitted that performing in front of their hometown crowd was, perhaps, the most nerve-wracking showcase of them all.
They saw familiar faces among the crowd, namely friends they grew up with as well as new faces they had never encountered beforehand. Their families also made sure to show their support, so the showcase became a full-circle and endearing moment for the three of them. Before debuting as Thee Marloes, each of them had their own hustle and led a very different aspect of life. So seeing the crowd now chanting their names and sang along with the songs they made, gave them a very emotional boost of energy to keep going as a band.
The soulful unit closed out their set with the lead single from “Di Hotel Malibu” which is “I’d Be Lost”. The crowd followed Natassya’s instruction to sing along to some part of the song. Moreover, the band showcased their gratitude towards the organizer, sponsors, and attendees who came that night and made the show happen before taking their final bow. If we could, we would attend Thee Marloes’ show anywhere, just to prove a point that this band deserves every ounce of recognition and acknowledgement they got. Bravo Thee Marloes, good luck for your upcoming showcase in Jakarta and tour across Japan!
Photo: Bonifasius Eiji/Writer: Novita Widia
