In the world of modern pop, few artists are more exciting than the up-and-coming duo of Magdalena Bay. The group consists of real life couple Mica Tenenbaum and Matthew Levin, with Tenenbaum leading the groups’ vocals and Levin leading production. After releasing several EPs and mixtapes throughout 2019 and 2020, Magdalena Bay dropped their debut album Mercurial World in 2021 to rave reviews and loads of attention. Fans and critics alike were dazzled by their colorful, kaleidoscopic, take on electronic pop and we were lucky enough to see them in action last Wednesday for their first ever show in Portland.
The show started with Mercurial World‘s opening track “The End” and continued to play the entire album in order – all the way to “The Beginning”. A being named Chaeri – a piece of artificial intelligence named after Mercurial World‘s debut single – provided the narrative for the show that fell very much in line with the themes of the album. Every couple of songs, Tenenbaum would sit in front of a computer screen and talk to Chaeri who would respond on the screen behind the stage. “I LOVE BOTH OF MY CREATORS” Chaeri said at one point, referring to Tenenbaum and Levin. Questions of love, isolation, and terminal online-ness are presented by Tenenbaum’s conversations with Chaeri; it brings the album to life in a unique way that feels quintessentially Magdalena Bay. Overall, the show felt like a perfect manifestation of Magdalena Bay’s image that also happened to be an absolute blast. We’re thrilled we got to see their first ever show in Portland; click here to see if they’re coming to a city near you!
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