“This venue feels so special,” Katie Gavin, the singer of dark pop band Muna shared with her fans. “Maybe some of you were here with us when we opened for one of our favorite bands, Chairlift.” The look in Gavin’s eyes was one of joyful remembrance. Gazing into the crowd, she asked for a brief moment of silence to just enjoy the moment. You could see the satisfaction on her face when the crowd obliged.
Gavin then took a moment to engage the audience, noting that some of the girls in the band had recently gotten matching “M” tattoos and then joked about starting a MUNA cult, letting the crowd know that there were temporary tats at the merch booth if they aren’t ready for that kind of commitment just yet.
It’s been a great few months for these local ladies. From sold-out shows to the release of their anticipated LP “About U” (RCA) which was available for purchase at the venue days before the actual release. The title for the record was pulled from the last song on the album “Everything”, a melancholic synth-pop ballad, somewhat dour but totally heartwarming just like most of the LP.
The LA-based trio wasn’t afraid to get political during their performance, shouting at the almighty White House to “shut up”, among other moments. For those who don’t know, Katie Gavin and guitarists Naomi McPherson and Josette Maskin are big LGBTQ supporters. Their hit “I Know A Place” is dedicated to the community as a reminder that safe spaces for LGBTQ members do exist. The band’s dark-pop sound with Gavin’s airy, dreamlike vocals will leave you with a hopeful feeling no matter how bittersweet the subject matter of the composition is.
Besides crowds the favorites, MUNA sang some new material to the crowd’s delight. “In My Way”, a song “about confusing relationships,” was a song that the trio wrote about a month ago and can only be enjoyed live. Before getting a deal with a major label, MUNA was producing and recording their own material earning the support of the music lovers themselves. The connection MUNA had with the audience was powerful. The love that this band has for its fans is compelling.
Their set also consisted of the vintage-sounding tune about battling a heartbreak, “Crying On The Bathroom Floor”, which is an ode to old-school, dark synth-pop. When MUNA closed their set with “Loudspeaker”, Gavin roused the crowd by exclaiming, “This is our last song so let’s go fucking lose it!” which directive the audience was only more than willing to follow.
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