Magdalena Bay @ Black Cat [DC] - 2/19/2022
Magdalena Bay at Black Cat (Photo ©2022 Mauricio Castro)
Magdalena Bay are a blender of influences outputting an otherworldly creative vision, one powered by early 2000s pop, 90s-era internet aesthetics, and a kaleidoscope of colors. Not to mention that they’ve got a strong TikTok game. The duo of singer Mica Tenenbaum and multi-instrumentalist Matthew Levin, both hailing from Miami, have captured the hearts and minds of many with their impeccable ear for pop melodies. Their last two appearances in DC were both opening slots (in March 2020 for Yumi Zouma and October 2021 for George Clanton), so being able to sell out the 800-capacity Black Cat shows just how high their stock has risen since the release of their very excellent sophomore album Mercurial World.
Their live show came complete with matching outfits, a CRT television as set decoration, and a recurring skit throughout the show where they conversed with an AI, allowed it to sing backing vocals on “Domino,” and eventually convinced the AI to destroy itself. They performed their entire Mercurial World record in full and in order, and their encore included their popular, slow synth-jam “Killshot,” updated with a pitched-down and even more slowed-down second chorus. The Black Cat was a non-stop dance party from start to finish, but how could it not be when they’ve got catchy earworms like “Secrets (Your Fire)” and “Chaeri”? Tenenbaum and Levin, along with touring drummer Nick Villa, gave a performance that punched way, way above their weight class and made their case to be seated among the pop greats of the 2020s.
Magdalena Bay’s sophomore album Mercurial World is out now through Luminelle Recordings
Opening for Magdalena Bay was Cecile Believe, the solo project of Montreal-based Caila Thompson-Hannant. A frequent collaborator of pop pioneer SOPHIE (Thompson-Hannant’s vocals are the ones you hear on “Ponyboy” and “Faceshopping”), her production values are heavily influenced by the late musician and the industrial-pop’ sound of the PC Music label, which was fun to see come to life. Her latest solo release is the 2020 EP Plucking a Cherry From the Void.
Photos by Mauricio Castro
SETLIST
The End
Mercurial World
Dawning of the Season
Secrets (Your Fire)
You Lose!
Something for 2
Chaeri
Halfway
Hysterical Us
Prophecy
Follow the Leader
Domino
Dreamcatching
The Beginning
ENCORE
Killshot (Slowed + Reverb)
Only If You Want It
Good Intentions