Dreamy synth-pop duo Magdalena Bay performed in Boston for the third time in just a little over a year on the Imaginal Mystery Tour USA & Can. After playing the Royale in September of 2024 and The House of Blues in April of this year, they ventured across the street for their largest headline show in the city at a sold-out MGM Music Hall on October 24th. Fans in blue and red ensembles, adorned with lead singer Mica Tenenbaum's signature blue face makeup, flooded into the venue and to the merchandise line. Designs included holographic posters, shirts with angel designs, and signed vinyl.

Oxis kickstarted the show with her idiosyncratic charm and electro-pop tracks. She emerged from behind a curtain in a grommeted black halter top and two space buns, parking behind a table with a synthesizer on top. "I hope you like fish," she uttered before performing her discography named after these aquatic vertebrates. Tracks like Baqui, Nemus, and Long Sardine hypnotized the crowd with resonant beats and haunting vocals. During the third song, she surprised the audience with Boston-native and Magdalena Bay touring keyboardist Myles Sweeney, who emerged to play a Yamaha Reface CS with her, creating the instrumental in real time and adding a palpable touch to the music.

She effortlessly executed vocal flips, passionate belting moments, and softer falsetto. Between songs, she would pull back the curtain on her creative process, citing growing up as a tuna and sardines being her favorite snack as inspiration for song titles and sounds. These soft-spoken, hushed moments pulled the audience closer to her. She let the fluid, dynamic music speak for itself during this stripped-down set. While operating the midi controller, she also played an electric blue guitar with an Iron Maiden strap. Techniques like using a filter to make her voice sound like a distant voicemail added intrigue, warmth, and texture to her performance.

Before departing, she expressed her genuine gratitude to the band for bringing her on tour. This show was her penultimate night joining them on the road, and she gave it her all. Vocal chops and heavy bass contrasted her smooth voice, which was reminiscent of Magdalena Bay's work, making this double bill a no-brainer. She closed her set with a cover of Kids by MGMT, adding her own spin to make it feel more achey and resonant.

Soon after, the curtain dropped, revealing Magdalena Bay's grandiose, maximalist, and colorful set. They made the tour bigger and even more mysterious with these upgrades. The stage featured the classic red stairs, a biblically accurate angel eyeball with wings, an LED screen window with curtains, and a costume rack. But this time, the screen inside the angel wings was twice the size, and on top of the costume wall was a secondary stage with textured papier-mâché rails reminiscent of bright coral reefs.

The lights dimmed, and fans released thunderous cheers. The cacophony of sounds on the Imaginal Disk opening track, "She Looked Like Me!," reverberated throughout the venue as Tenebaum appeared atop the platform, wistfully gazing around. She sang with an addictive, light, airy tone. Her silky, deep-blue, ballooned outfit created striking poses as she skipped down the stairs. They continued to play the entire Imaginal Disk album in order, with other fan-favorite tracks scattered in between. Singles like "Image" united the crowd, with the whole venue singing along.

Toward the middle of the set, Tenebaum began changing costumes, alternating between a large sunflower headpiece, a bug papier-mâché mask, a red silky outfit adorned with planets, an iridescent cape, and more. She grabbed a keytar, teaming up with bandmate Matthew Lewin on guitar to shred during instrumental interludes as the lights flashed. At one point, Lewin put on a red leaf-esque mask as he acted out inserting the CD into Tenenbaum's head, as depicted on the album cover. These theatrics further submerged the venue in their world, transporting them deeper into their lush, crunchy soundscapes.

They also performed one of their new songs that released on October 17th, titled "Paint Me A Picture," a perfect compliment to their live performance, which was a visual feast. Fans were glued to visuals featuring clips from their ethereal music videos, nature scenes, technicolor graphics, and more. The energy climaxed during "That's My Floor," when the whole venue shook as everyone jumped and swayed their arms.

Tenenbaum executed one last costume change, floating on stage in a baby blue leotard, mesh flowy skirt, and feathery angel wings. They performed the punchy Imaginal Disk closing track "The Ballad of Matt & Mica" as fans ascended. They returned for an electric three-song encore, ending the night with the sparkling synthy track "The Beginning." A final message was hidden in lyrics such as "So if you feel low, sit back, enjoy the show / Like a kaleidoscope in technicolor tonight," which reminded fans of the healing power of live music. Make sure to catch Magdalena Bay live before the Imaginal Mystery Tour USA & Can ends in December. Buy tickets here.