MAGDALENA BAY CELEBRATE RELEASE OF DEBUT ALBUM, MERCURIAL WORLD

Magdalena Bay performing at El Cid, LA by Jacob Alvarez

MIAMI DUO DEBUTED ALBUM IN FULL AT SOLD OUT LA SHOW

Magdalena Bay have been on my radar ever since they were mentioned to me by Gorilla vs Bear founder, Chris Cantalini. We were thinking of doing something for the release of their first full length album, so I began to dive into the music. From that small conversation, I was gifted the opportunity to make some pieces for them, interview the duo, and cover their record release show in east Hollywood. Experiencing their performance just showed me that this is a band who understands pop music in today’s industry landscape.

I had never been to El Cid before but I knew many bands played small sets there dating back to the FYF days. I think the setting proved to be a perfect area for the band to play: it was intimate, social, and you just felt like you had stumbled upon this hidden club that many don’t know of. The floor was packed with fans who showed up in face paint, glitter, and signs stating “I LOVE MAG BAY.” These were fans who came to dance to not just the singles, but the deep cuts as well. Almost everyone was mouthing the words, with the album having been out for about 24 hours.

Matthew Lewin came out to hook up his gear and make sure that the duo were ready to go, signaling a thumbs up to the projectionist who made the spherical object that resembles the cover of the LP. The lights went dark as the crowd let out screams of excitement. Mica Tenenbaum then came from the behind the curtain with a mic headset and began to sing “The End” which led into “Mercurial World” flawlessly as it does on the album. Both Tenenbaum and Lewin kept the crowd wanting more, mirroring the dancing and jumping that they saw take place in the audience. The duo played their album from front to back, with fans going especially crazy for singles “You Lose!” and “Chaeri.” It was pretty surreal to have been in the band’s home just a week prior for an interview and also playing their video game online to seeing them just bring down the El Cid with a packed house. This is what live music is all about and the band sounded nothing short of pristine. Check out the set list here!

PS: Check out our gallery of photos from the performance!