Review: Magdalena Bay @ Wonder Ballroom 10/03/2022

Secrets are a funny thing. Sometimes they can be simple little things we keep to ourselves, or, they could change your life if it ever got out. Magdalena Bay envelops you in their secrets in a dazzling, infectious, and one of a kind live pop experience that I will be thinking of for many years to come. It felt truly remarkable to see such a tightly wound, expansive pop act performing in such an intimate venue like the Wonder Ballroom. 

Mercurial World has quickly become one of my favorite albums in this decade so far and with the enhancement it has received with its deluxe edition, Mica Tenenbaum and Matthew Lewin seem to be taking the immersion of their world to a new level. Featured in their live set was an disembodied AI robot named Chaeri, that was periodically fed “secrets” from the band. With call ins from fans and submissions, many secrets were eaten and Cherry’s want of human feeling grew. As Cherry’s humanity grew, the pop duo unleashed their sound onto our ears. Including live guitars, bass, and synths, the duo is featured as a three piece band as drummer Nick Villa joins the mold and truly enhances the sonic direction. Grooves felt tighter and punchier while still holding true to the electro sounds that make their music so infectious. 

Everything felt so climactic and psychedelic in the way the washing guitar tones wail over the electronic showcases. Songs like ‘Chaeri’ and ‘Hysterical Us’ were big standouts as lead vocalist Mica took absolute control over the crowd with her blissful, and sometimes melancholic tone, even entering the crowd about halfway through the show. It was also really great to hear new tracks featured on the Deluxe release of “Mercurial World” such as ‘All you do’ where Mica and Matthew sat next to each other to play the simple ballad that just felt cute. Probably my favorite moment had to have been in the encore when they played ‘Killshot’. For the majority it was the normal mix but, the band pulled out a slowed down extended version featuring a multitude of Anime fan cams that are popular on Tik Tok because of the song. We all collectively lost our minds and I truly was flabbergasted at the existence of a fancam in a setting like this. It feels like we have entered a new era of pop.

This concert was everything and more and truly feels like the future of live pop performance. If you want to check out their music, you can find them on all streaming platforms, and be sure to check out their social media @magdalenabay.