By: Jon Harrison
On a warm Tuesday afternoon in October at White Oak Music Hall, Magdalena Bay came to Houston for their headline tour and it was a fun one indeed. Admittedly, I was a fan of theirs going back into 2020 through Spotify, the Floridian duo of Mica Tenenbaum and Matthew Lewin bring with them a sound that is becoming more trendy off the isles of the social media world. The disco-pop indie fusion that comes from the duo’s music is infectiously catchy while also making you want to find the closest dance hall and bust a few moves. So predictably, that’s how this night would unfold with an eager and colorful crowd ready to groove, sing and have a memorable night.
Kicking off the night we had Alaska Reid, the artist from Montana had a much different tone and mood from the headliners with a more acoustic and layered-back sound, but in her own right was still plenty charming and interesting with vocal resemblance to Karen O from the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. Boasting songs like Boys From Town and Oblivion, Reid's songs were very easy on the ears while also soothing with her soft spoken delivery mixed with cool beats to go along with slick playing guitar. Without a doubt, Alaska Reid will be one to look out for in the next couple of years and I look forward to her releasing more music soon.
Soon after, it was finally time for the headlining act to hit the stage and the crowd was certainly beaming with anticipation from the moment they entered the venue. The crowd warmly greeted Matt and Mica with loud cheers and the set was finally underway. We got classics songs, a personal favorite of mine, Venice, and newer songs off of the album Mercurial World. Also along for the tour was an artificial intelligence that Mica says that they’re trying to make more “human” through voicemails that are of anonymous fans sharing their deepest secrets causing the A.I. to go into bouts of shock for the crowds amusement. Throughout the night, whether it was Mica’s sweet vocals and crowd control of making sure the audience was having a great time or Matt’s insane ripping on the guitar and smoke playing on the keys, the duo brought nonstop entertainment for the folks of Houston to enjoy. Finally as the set came to an end, the audience was graced with the viral hit Killshot as well as a few other songs to conclude the show that had been filled with top value fun.
In conclusion, I cannot wait for the next time the Florida pair comes back around to Houston and I hope others will check them out in the future.
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