Henry Abbott

On a whim one recent night, I decided to join my friend Shelby Carson ’27 on a spontaneous trip to see the magnificent Magdalena Bay.

Now, I am not a huge listener of Magdalena Bay’s music. I’ve listened enough to become absolutely obsessed with “Cry for Me” and, through Shelby, “Chaeri.” But I never set myself on getting a ticket to the State Theatre show and, funnily enough, did not until the very last minute. It was the downfall of Alex Miller ’26 that permitted me to attend, and through him, I found good fortune. Thank you, Alex. I am extremely sorry you did not get to see Magdalena Bay mime putting a CD into her forehead.

This is all to say that this past Monday at 9 p.m., I pushed as far as I could to the stage while an incredibly intense lightshow assaulted my eyes. Shelby and I made the villainous decision to weave our way to the front, glared at by others. Then we stood in rapture, watching the iridescent forms of Matt, Mica and various other performers.

Sam Austins’ short but brilliant performance felt like a spiritual experience. The stage was set with various props, including a large mirror-like construction onto which changing images were projected. The mirror had a pair of angelic wings, and during one of Sam Austins’ songs, he aligned perfectly in the center as though he had just casually glided down from heaven.

Upon the start of Magdalena Bay’s performance, the audience fell as close to silent as they possibly could. Alighted upon a makeshift staircase, Mica stood in baggy blue pants and a long-sleeved shirt, totally in character. The concert proceeded. We did as concertgoers do and danced.

After the show, I asked Shelby the basics. She told me she heard Magdalena Bay on a Spotify radio. She found the concert “transformative,” particularly because “being able to view the creative processes of composure and extreme talent was beyond phenomenal.” When I probed her on what she imagined would be the ideal environment for listening, she told me she would love to be biking on a sunny day to the beach.

When I asked her what stood out to her most, she commented on the drums. Shelby has been learning drums with Courtney Burnett ’26 (shoutout I love you) and always concentrates on drummers while at concerts. At the Magdalena Bay show, Shelby fixated on the drummer’s solo, along with Mica’s connected “body movements,” fluttering with percussion and “specific lighting choices that elevated the moment.”

The Magdalena Bay show could be easily compared to a video game with its dramatic nature and elaborate visuals. While standing in the crowd, bobbing up and down, I fantasized I had been transported to some magical ’80s wonderland where frightening creatures would emerge from time to time. Almost like “The Neverending Story.” My only point of criticism is that the set list was so long. So what if my shoes were impractical? Good music, though. 8.5/10.