From the Midwest to the East Coast, MUD has been following MUNA as they tour the country, and without a doubt, their New York show has a special place in our heart.
On their first North American headlining tour, indie-pop band MUNA sold out a three night back to back run at New York’s Irving Plaza. Despite several days of non-stop rain, fans showed out each night, packing the 1,200 capacity venue from the stage to the bar in anticipation of the magic that is Katie Gavin, Josette Maskin, and Naomi McPherson performing on stage together.
Starting the evening was pop-punk band, Meet Me At The Altar and they put on an electrifying performance. The trio are fun to watch not only because of their high energy punk rock set, but because of their relatability to the crowd, as if it was just you and them in the room. Lead vocalist, Edith Victoria, paused between songs to tell the crowd the bands comedic origin story, explaining how persistent she was when fellow bandmates, drummer Ada Jaurez and guitarist Téa Campbell, originally went with a different lead singer for the band. Through this persistence and the sheer talent of her vocal ability (seriously… that girl can hit a note…), Edith was finally accepted into the spot of lead singer. Following this story, she pulled up seats for Ada and Téa so the three could perform an acoustic style song to slow things down for a bit. I always appreciate when bands change tune throughout their sets - it keeps the crowd on their feet.
MUNA was up next, and you could feel the anticipation in the air. Naomi and Josette took the stage first, with lead singer Katie strutting out onto the stage last and immediately dropping into their first song of the night, and a hit from their latest self-titled album, “What I Want.” With each passing song, old and new, the crowd sang along with them word for word.
The group kept the crowd captivated throughout their 17 song setlist, featuring songs like “Runner’s High,” “Anything But Me,” and “Kind Of Girl,” paired with older hits like “Stayaway” and “Pink Light”. MUNA also included a fan favorite — a cover of The Killer’s “Mr. Brightside!” MUNA ended their initial set with “I Know A Place,” but returned to the stage for an encore that ended the night strong with their hit single, “Silk Chiffon.” MUNA was joined onstage by surprise guest, SNL actor, and close friend, Bowen Yang who sang and danced alongside the band — the crowd went nuts for that, as you could imagine.
MUNA and Meet Me At The Altar put on incredible performances - two down to earth bands that you can tell deeply appreciate their fans and their work. The confidence that each of these bands exudes is something special to watch. This performance was a delightful introduction to Meet Me At The Altar and I have been a MUNA fan for quite some time. It’s evident that MUNA’s work seems to get better by the day - if either of these bands are performing at a venue near me, I’ll absolutely be there.
See the photos by Addy Walter of MUNA at Irving Plaza below.
Make sure to follow MUD on Instagram for the best concert photos in New York and beyond.