MUNA, the critically acclaimed queer pop trio from Los Angeles, California, arrived in New York City on May 8th for the first of two back to back sold out performances at Terminal 5. MUNA, who released their self-titled third album via Phoebe Bridger’s Saddest Factory Records last year, are in the midst of their nearly sold out Life’s So Fun North American tour. The trio have recently risen to fame thanks to their hit single “Silk Chiffon”, which has over 44 million streams on Spotify, as well as some opening slots on Taylor Swift’s Era’s tour. In New York on Monday evening, the mood was as expected for the group of hot button musicians.
Joining them for the evening was British punk duo Nova Twins. Starting off the night, Nova Twins brought extremely high energy to their 40 minute opening performance. Radiating electricity between the both of them, vocalist/guitarist Amy Love and bassist Georgia South commanded the attention of the crowd the entire time. Their grungy punk attitude was infectious as a circle pit broke out halfway through their set and tons of sweaty, amped up fans were joining in the festivities.
As the clock neared the 9:15 start time, whispers of anticipation and excitement began to radiate throughout the venue. Suddenly, the lights went dark and MUNA, consisting of Naomi McPherson, Katie Gavin and Josette Maskin, thundered onto the stage. Immediately ripping into the club favorite “What I Want”, MUNA wasted no time showing the crowd where the expectations bar was set at for the evening. They followed their effervescent opening song with “Number One Fan” and I can confirm: the vibes were definitely there.
MUNA dominated the 3,000 capacity venue and all three floors were overflowing with people trying to get a glimpse of the superstars. The fun that the band was having was visible from all corners of the venue, with Naomi flashing their sunglasses while playing the keys and Josette striding across the stage ripping smooth guitar riffs with their perfectly styled hair (I mean, come on)! After several songs, Katie paused to introduce the band —something that was entirely not necessary as it was clear every single person in the venue was chomping at the bit to scream words of affirmation, excitement and support at the band that they loved so dearly.
MUNA provided fans with a high energy performance and 19 song setlist that lasted for nearly two hours. Over the course of the night, fans both new and old were able to enjoy many of the bands hits including “Crying On The Bathroom Floor”, “Winterbreak”, “Pink Light” as well as MUNA’s most recent single, “One That Got Away”. After a brief moment, MUNA returned to the stage for their two song encore which included the queer safe space anthem “I Know A Place”, as well as “Silk Chiffon”. By the end of the night, fans were satiated by the performance. People poured out onto the streets and continued the party, dancing with a food truck vendor on the corner who was blasting MUNA from a loudspeaker.
Since the release of their debut album, About U in 2017, to their sophomore record, Saves The World to their recent self titled album, MUNA has successfully cemented their place in the music industry without a doubt. It is important to note the significance of MUNA’s presence in the industry and the larger societal community in our current climate against queer and trans folks around the world. Every time they take the stage, it’s more than just a concert. MUNA’s unapologetic performances drip with queer, trans and non binary pride and offer their fans a 100% safe space to escape to, even if just for one evening. Providing their fans with the opportunity to see queer musicians be successful, proud and joyous is something that I struggle to find the words for. MUNA has always and will continue to push the boundaries and limits of what queer joy looks, sounds and feels like and I am beyond excited to be along for the ride.
Nova Twins
