Magdalena Bay

When you release an album as critically acclaimed as 2024’s ‘Imaginal Disk’, there is bound to be a fair amount of hype around your musical duo. That’s certainly the case for LA-based alternative pop duo Magdalena Bay, comprising Matthew Lewin and Mica Tenenbaum. Following an initial tour across the UK in the last quarter of 2024, including three sold out shows at HERE at Outernet in London, they are back on British soil across this summer. While their main commitments include a slot at Charli XCX’s Lido Festival and an exciting opportunity opening for three of Billie Eilish’s ‘Hit Me Hard And Soft Tour’ shows at the iconic O2 Arena in London, they did schedule two standalone shows: one in Bristol and one further up north in Leeds. While the Bristol show sold out almost immediately (unsurprising given the 1100 capacity of the venue), Leeds was a bit more of a slow burner, though the concert did eventually sell all 2300 of its tickets. Even in the hours leading up to doors opening for Magdalena Bay at 7:00pm, there were dozens of devoted fans in the queue, whether it was the numerous Magdalena Bay tour t-shirts or concert-goers adorning face paint that matched Mica’s own appearance during her live performances. Though there was unfortunately no opener for this show (given the standalone nature of these two UK shows), there was still an excitable energy in the room, with fans having waited several months for the opportunity to hear Imaginal Disk in full, including me! When speaking to many attendees at this gig, there was a collective reasoning for attending this gig, being the opportunity to hear all 15 tracks of this sophomore album in full. Alas, the time ticked to 8:30pm, meaning it was time for Magdalena Bay to come out to an adoring crowd of fans.

The set immediately kicks off with the opener of Imaginal Disk, ‘She Looked Like Me!’, which serves as a brilliant track to introduce each performer’s own unique contribution to this sonic landscape. Whether it was Matt’s bass licks, Mica’s unique falsetto or the unbelievable Nick Villa, who has served as Magdalena Bay’s touring drummer since 2022. Touring band member Myles Sweeney’s versatility across a variety of instruments, including his phenomenal keyboard work, also helps to elevate what is already one of the best produced pop albums of the last decade. Following the opening track, the duo continue to flow through the opening songs of the album, with Killing Time and Image providing an infatuating energy amongst the crowd. During the True Blue Interlude, Mica addresses the Leeds crowd for the first time of the night to a rapturous applause. “Welcome to the Imaginal Disk Tour!”, exclaims Mica, almost as if this interlude is serving like a TV infomercial. This helps to allow moments for the crowd to have a breather, while also providing seamless transitions between the 23 songs on tonight’s setlist. The thing that I feel worked so well when playing an album in full like Imaginal Disk is that while the album wasn’t performed live from start to finish all in one go, it all still flowed chronologically, even if it was broken up by songs from their ‘Mini Mix’ series of mixtapes or their 2021 debut album ‘Mercurial World’ - think of it as sides on a vinyl, flipping from one to another, though with past songs thrown in as well.

Despite the venue only being a small academy sized and tickets being very reasonably priced in today’s current climate (£28 for an international act proved to be a fantastic deal), Magdalena Bay did not skimp on their production value. In some regards, I’d say the concept they captured on stage with their production was superior to many arena shows that I’ve been to before. Dotted across the stage were two large screens, one shaped as if it’s a mirror that has emerged straight out of Snow White and another with the appearance of windows, looking out to the world around, fit with its own curtains. A red platform was placed centrally on the stage, which Mica made frequent use of throughout the show, including hiding behind in the transition from one song to another and standing at the summit during her phenomenal Keytar solos. Another way Mica captured the energy of Imaginal Disk was through frequent costume changes - she started off with a navy blue outfit to match the colour scheme of the sophomore album, before changing into a bright red outfit, complete with 3D models of planets dotted around. This was perhaps more befitting and referred back to ‘Mercurial World’ and its own themes it tackles on that record. 

Towards the end of the set, Magdalena Bay excitedly introduced arguably their biggest song - “This is Killshot!”, Mica shouted. While the song released in 2020, the track has taken a life of its own in the last year thanks to the ever-so-popular social media platform TikTok, more specifically a version of the song that is slowed and reverbed. While the duo initially began with the original version found on their mixtape ‘A Little Rhythm and Wicked Feeling’, they slowed things down about halfway through to play the slowed and reverbed version, almost as if they were paying homage to the version’s newfound virality. They then dive into the final section of Imaginal Disk, with the more melancholic ‘Angel on a Satellite’ and ‘The Ballad of Matt and Mica’ helping to close out the show. For these last songs, Mica underwent one last costume change, wearing a beautiful turquoise dress to yet again reflect Imaginal Disk’s emphasis on blue. Before ‘The Ballad of Matt and Mica’, Mica put on a pair of angel wings that directly mirrored the large mirror screen on stage, providing a strong correlation between her own outfit and the more mellow ending to Imaginal Disk. After addressing the crowd one last time, Matt and Mica dashed off stage, whilst Myles and Nick took in the applause from the audience. What followed was repeated chants of ‘one more song!’ from the 2300 fans in attendance, and after what may have been the shortest break before an encore I’ve ever seen, the band came back on for one last singsong. The song was fittingly titled ‘The Beginning’, off of their debut album ‘Mercurial World’. This was a fun, upbeat track to end the show on an energetic note, finished off once and for all by Mica encouraging the audience to jump during the final chorus. They sure followed, with the crowd seemingly in the palm of Mica’s hands all night, following every request and command she had asked the crowd of. After the set finished for real this time, both Myles and Nick gave time for the fans, taking in and appreciating the several words of admiration thrown at them while also delivering setlists to patient fans who had been at the barrier all show. 

After the gig, dozens of fans circled around to the back of the academy, eagerly waiting for Matt and Mica to emerge, whether they wanted to get their several vinyl variants of Imaginal Disk signed or even request a signature for a tattoo! It was a cold and long wait, taking them until nearly 12:30am to emerge, but once they did, they ensured that they gave time to everybody. It was the band’s kindness and the fans’ appreciation for them despite their unbelievably busy schedule that really hit home to me. Despite having travelled hundreds of miles across Europe in the last few weeks, they were both beaming with smiles and interacting with their adoring fanbase. If there is one thing to ultimately conclude from not only the live show but the whole experience itself, it’s this: the hype is justified. While Magdalena Bay have already experienced monumental growth in the last year thanks to the success of Imaginal Disk, it’s safe to say that the sky’s the limit for them and what they could achieve in the future. What I know for sure is that while this was their first time in Leeds, it certainly won’t be their last.