MUNA
Jacobs Pavilion, Cleveland, OH
September 28, 2021
Much like their stardom, my love for MUNA has grown exponentially in a very short period of time. I was first introduced to MUNA upon release of their Spotify Sessions in 2019 and took a great liking to their cover of “Motivation” by Normani. I added a few songs from Saves The World to my daily rotation because I heard they’d be opening up for Phoebe, but I wasn’t really sold (however I wasn’t NOT sold).
And then we were all graced with “Silk Chiffon” and I knew I’d be hopping on the bandwagon prettyyyy, prettyyy, pretty quick. And I did, sue me.
Between “Silk Chiffon” and seeing their opening set for Phoebe in Columbus, I was very smitten. Katie Gavin was born to be a lead singer: the outfits, the frenetic energy, the way she simultaneously led the band and the crowd without fault. Naomi McPherson is a subdued yet powerful force onstage; every so often I’d be so taken with Katie’s dancing or Jo’s playing, then I’d look over to find them smiling so big, radiating absolute sunshine. And Jo (Josette Maskin, formally)! A guitar goddess for the ages. I’d say more about Jo, but then we’d never see the end of this post.
After seeing MUNA live, it makes sense that their music didn’t resonate as much with me before I saw them live: I am not sure their records do their music justice. That’s not to say that their recorded albums aren’t good, but they have so much energy on stage the songs are completely different. They started with “Number One Fan” before launching into “Stayaway,” both of which I wasn’t really a fan of until I saw them perform them live.
The recorded version of “Stayaway” is a heart wrenching portrayal of the acute awareness felt after a break up: how everything around you, no matter how mundane, can lead to thinking of a person you thought you once knew, and the gut punch that follows.
Katie’s range and stamina is so incredible that she didn’t miss a beat in the first few lines (if you listen you’ll understand why this is such a feat), and after the first chorus it’s like something erupts in all three of them and the show really begins.
“Navy Blue” was one of the tracks that stuck out to me pre-fangirling; it doesn’t seem to have a ton of significance compared to other songs on Save The World, yet it made the setlist. Sonically “Navy Blue” isn’t something that would normally catch my eye (ear?) ((see here for my playlist of unforgettable first listens)), but I love the soft jump of the guitar riff behind the words, which are quite clever also. Referencing the deepest shade of blue as a representation of the deepest sadness, in addition to the asphyxiation that happens while holding your breath waiting for someone to love you when it simply was not meant to be. So many shades of blue; Joni would be proud.
Following these first three were “Everything”, “Winterbreak”, MUNA’s self-proclaimed country song “Taken” and a very fun dance session to “Pink Light.”
And then.
I am, like, pretty chill in most instances. But when they brought out Phoebe to play “Silk Chiffon” I lost all control. It was like a month old at that point and I don’t think people had realized how good it was yet because it felt like I was the only one who was more excited about the song itself than Phoebe’s presence onstage (which like, okay fair, it was my third show at this point).
When I really enjoy a song, I hear or learn something different about it every time I listen. So I’ve thought about “Silk Chiffon” a lot, and hearing it live is one of those things that I will never, ever forget. I’ll never run out of space in my brain for songs because ones like this help to clear my head and go somewhere else for a few minutes. “Silk Chiffon” is the perfect amalgamation of sad girl pop and self acceptance that both MUNA and Phoebe have mastered, ultimately solidifying both of their roles as an irrevocable force in the alt-pop genre (and a solid place in my heart, love y’all!!).
MUNA closed their final set opening for Phoebe Bridgers on the 2021 Reunion Tour with “I Know A Place,” a sweet nod to the closing track of Punisher. Even if they weren’t aware, Phoebe fans were lucky to experience a show from MUNA. Katie, Jo and Naomi house an irreplaceable energy that works harmoniously to provide audiences (or at least me) an unforgettable show experience.
I say that because MUNA released Saves the World right before the onslaught of the pandemic, so it’s clear that they’ve been hoarding tour level energy for nearly two years. This tour finally afforded them the opportunity to release the fire and radiance that surrounds Saves the World, and release they sure did.
See my comprehensive 2021-2022 show season playlist below.
