Synth-pop duo Magdalena Bay performed live at Atlanta’s Terminal West Nov. 20. The concert was a stop on Magdalena Bay’s “Mercurial Tour,” the band’s first headlining tour following the release of their debut album “Mercurial World” and its deluxe re-release. Both Magdalena Bay and their opener, BAYLI, brought an exceptional amount of flair onstage that kept the audience hooked throughout the night.
Magdalena Bay is composed of vocalist Mica Tenenbaum and producer Matthew Lewin. The pair first made their big splash upon releasing “Mercurial World” in October 2021. The album’s addictive, forward-thinking pop structure, combined with varied instrumentals and a unique time loop concept, made the album an instant classic among pop fans. The band released the deluxe version of the album in September 2022, in tandem with their U.S. tour.
The setlist combined recent hits with old deep cuts, and the live performance incorporated a new storyline to thread the tracks together by having an AI named Chaeri — named after their song titled “Chaeri” — appear on screen, becoming more human-like throughout the performance. The AI had short conversations with Tenenbaum onstage in between songs and used preexisting concepts from the songs to develop. Chaeri presented fan-submitted secrets to the audience in the style of voicemails and eventually got its own body during the track titled “Body.”
BAYLI, a solo pop act from New York, was a pleasant new face. Her live vocal performances were excellent, and she brought a lot of different vocal styles into her music. She experimented with sounds in R&B, hyperpop, cloud rap and drum-and-bass. “TELLY BAG” was a crowd favorite, with audible cheers as BAYLI’s vocals layered with the drum-and-bass backing track. Fans also waved their hands to “foreigner,” an anthemic pop track about New York City that showcased BAYLI’s impressive vocals. There was also an undeniable level of excitement when BAYLI performed the SOPHIE-produced “clown shit” in honor of the late producer.
Magdalena Bay rearranged some songs on the setlist to better fit the live environment. Those tracks felt the most captivating to experience in person. The band brought drummer Nick Villa on tour, and his contributions meshed perfectly with Lewin’s guitar and Tenenbaum’s vocals.
Courtesy of Lissyelle Laricchia.
“Mercurial World,” the album’s title track, typically features a large electronic break, complete with several synthesized moving parts. To accommodate the live performance, Lewin’s guitar work and Villa’s drumming provided a heavier rock sound to the track. “All You Do” is a track exclusive to “Mercurial World (Deluxe),” and it features a much more acoustic set of instrumentals. The live rearrangement once again filled the space exceptionally well. Lewin also had a standout guitar solo during the breakdown of “Dreamcatching,” which sounded completely different to the studio recording.
The duo kept themselves busy onstage with a variety of other instruments. In addition to singing, Tenenbaum played multiple auxiliary instruments, including a handheld temple block with a mallet, a melodica and some keyboard solos. Lewin switched between guitar, slap bass and some keyboard work.
The setlist included the track “Halfway” to indicate the concert’s halfway point. The encore featured the classic “Set Me Off” and the anthemic “The Beginning.” Before the encore, the duo initially ended with the semi-TikTok-famous song, “Killshot.” A couple minutes into the track’s performance, the music slowed down and got deeper to pay homage to the various “slowed and reverb” remixes, and Tenenbaum yelled, “Shoutout to all the sexy anime edits,” as anime edits played on the screen in the background. The band never took themselves too seriously, and the crowd adored it.
With Magdalena Bay’s U.S. tour coming to a close, fans are waiting to find out what the duo’s future plans will be. Regardless of what direction they decide to go in, Atlanta will be waiting for their return with open arms.
Michael Blankfein (24C, he/him) is from Westport, Connecticut, majoring in Anthropology. He is also a violist in the Emory University Symphony Orchestra. He’s a huge music nerd, plays a ton of video games, and loves murder mysteries.
