Magdalena Bay Concert Review

Written by: Dana Mautone

Edited by: Bridget Gallagher

Magdalena Bay is a Miami-based synth-pop duo created by Matt Lewin and Mica Tenenbaum. They’re known for their quirky, unsettling digital aesthetics and catchy electronic sound. Over the past few weeks, they’ve been releasing consecutive double singles, the most recent being “Unoriginal/Black-Eyed Susan Climb.” I was lucky enough to catch them on the last date of their Imaginal Mystery Tour at The Fillmore in Philadelphia.

When my friend and I arrived, a line wrapped around the block, filled with dedicated concertgoers with blue foreheads to match the iconic “Imaginal Disk” album cover. The venue was much larger than I expected, with multiple spacious rooms including a bar, a loft, and a huge general admission area. Since this was the last show on the tour, the band celebrated by offering a blue face paint station, a merch-customization collaboration with American Apparel, and a silent disco. 

The opener was Oxis, an electronic-pop artist whose entire brand revolves around marine life. She began her set by asking the crowd, “Does anyone here like fish? Does anyone here like birds?” The questions were met with enthusiastic screams from the pit. 

This question set the tone for her entire set, as she proceeded to introduce every song with the name of a different fish. On stage, she had a DJ booth creating her backing tracks live through loops. It was unlike anything I’ve ever seen before—fascinating to watch her construct full songs and soundscapes out of guitar riffs and her own vocalizations in real time.

She played a few original songs as well as some covers, including “Papaoutai” by Stromae and “Kids” by MGMT (introduced, respectively, as “a fish from Belgium” and “a type of snack from the ocean: sardines”). She was insanely talented and is probably my favorite opener at any concert I’ve ever been to. 

About half an hour after Oxis, Magdalena Bay started their show. The stage lit up and the room exploded with cheers as Mica cascaded down a huge staircase in time with the beat of their song “She Looked Like Me!” 

The entire concert followed the narrative of Imaginal Disk, an album loosely centered on a girl named True who has a disk inserted into her forehead to become her “ideal self.” Throughout the show, the duo used costumes, projections, and choreography to bring this storyline to life. These creative choices were among the most impressive aspects of the concert. The set design was uniquely intricate and detailed, featuring angel-themed props that resembled wings and clouds. Two large screens on opposite sides of the stage displayed visuals from their music videos, with Mica at times interacting with or singing to the on-screen characters. The visuals blended naturally with the duo’s already digital, futuristic aesthetic. The vastness of their design made it feel as if I was transported to a dreamlike universe for an hour and a half—it was magical. 

Their setlist included the entirety of Imaginal Disk, interspersed with songs from their earlier projects. There were multiple costume changes throughout the show, which took place during the interludes and instrumental tracks from the album, performed by Matt and the rest of the band.

A standout for me was the last song before the encore, “The Ballad of Matt & Mica.” Following “Angel on a Satellite,” a dreamy, soft piano-backed ballad, Mica donned angel wings and ascended to the top of a platform. She stood with her arms outstretched as lights flashed behind her in sync with the beat of the intro. The song then faded into the rest of the upbeat finale, and she proceeded to skip around the stage and perform. It was one of the most breathtakingly stunning moments I’ve ever seen—no amount of the thousand photos I snapped could possibly do it justice.

Seeing Magdalena Bay live was a 10/10 experience. They are such a unique band with a strong creative vision that is truly one of a kind. I’d recommend listening to them—or, better yet, seeing them live—to absolutely everyone.