Magdalena Bay Brings the ‘Mercurial World’ to SLC
Magdalena Bay (Courtesy Magdalena Bay)
November 7, 2022
Miami-based pop duo and couple Magdalena Bay teleported SLC fans across space to their “Mercurial World” tour on Nov. 1 at the Soundwell concert hall.
BAYLI
Brooklyn-born singer BAYLI opened the show. The solo artist mixes pop, R&B and electronic beats to create energetic music that fans of artists like Doja Cat, SOPHIE and Jorja Smith would appreciate. Proudly queer, BAYLI’s music is tastefully sensual, confident and fun, with playful titles like “sushi for breakfast” and not-so-subtle merchandise reading “#SOGAY” which matched the bisexual lighting of the venue perfectly. On stage, BAYLI is magnetic and engaging, moving the audience to bounce along to her bass-heavy music.
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Magdalena Bay Invades Audiences’ Minds
It feels more accurate to call Magdalena Bay’s tour a performance art experience than simply a concert. A light show coordinated to singer of the duo Mica Tenenbaum’s movements, a colorful backdrop depicting vapor wave images of Greek architecture, whales and daisies, and an AI mascot named Chaeri who learns how to be human over the course of the show through the themes — such as longing, fear and secrets — in the songs.
Opening the show with “Mercurial World,” Magdalena Bay pulled the audience into their poppy stratosphere. During their song “Chaeri,” Tenenbaum included the audience in a round, shouting “3, 4, down to the floor, lose control a little more” in unison while the music became increasingly louder and more disorienting. The lights flashed as the crowd jumped and screamed along, creating a magical, surreal atmosphere that compelled even my uncoordinated, awkward self to dance.
Soundwell is a relatively new venue with a very industrial feel that Magdalena Bay absolutely transformed into a captivating, vivid, electro-Y2K experience filling the room and the audiences’ minds.
In a world where so many musicians show up on stage in jeans and a T-shirt and call it a day, it’s wonderful to go to a show that makes an effort to entertain. Tenenbaum’s blue leotard with lightning bolt details fit perfectly into the out-of-this-world aesthetic of her music, which lives in a happy medium between Kali Uchis dreampop and Pussy Riot-style hyperpop.
Living in a ‘Mercurial World’
After the show, both Magdalena Bay and BAYLI stuck around to greet fans and sell their stylish merchandise. I entered the concert hall relatively unaware of either act and left a lifelong fan of both with a cute “Mercurial World” tote and songs “demon time” and “U Wanna Dance?” stuck in my head likely (and hopefully) for weeks to come.
Magdalena Bay is continuing their tour across the Eastern U.S. and Canada, finishing up with the Art with Me Festival in Miami and the Falls Festival all the way in Australia.
If you missed their show in SLC, you can check out Magdalena Bay and BAYLI’s music on Spotify and explore Magdalena Bay’s website for a fun experience not unlike their concerts (be sure to “click for vibes”). Both artists are up and coming, and you can certainly expect to hear much more from them.
