MUNA

Alexys Hadaway visited The Van Buren to witness this buzzy new band in their prime to celebrate the release of their fourth album, Dancing on the Wall.  

The band is currently going through an extremely difficult time with the health and imminent passing of Naomi McPherson’s mother, Harriet. However, MUNA handles this with an incredible sense of professionalism, knowing that performing and engaging with the fans is both what Naomi and Harriet want.

The setlist begins exclusively with songs from their new album “Dancing On The Wall.” While this is something that is not done often, it created a really strong start consisting of fun and meaningful songs. Among these tracks is “Big Stick.” The energy from both the audience and the band during this song was palpable, especially during the final verse, which includes the most politically charged lyrics throughout, and the band cut the track down in order to completely focus on singer Katie Gavin’s performance. 

One of the things MUNA does that makes their show stand out is their use of lights. Rather than using them for stage aesthetics, the lights are employed as an impactful tool. During the section of “Big Stick” where Katie is highlighted, the stage is almost completely dark until the lights flash in red and blue to mimic a police siren. Moments later, the lights flash in the colors of the Palestine flag. This use of lights is also prominent during “I Know a Place,” when they flash in the colors of the transgender flag.

Midway through the set, MUNA sat down to perform an acoustic set of their songs “Taken” and “Kind of Girl.” Before beginning the acoustic portion, Katie, Josette Maskin, and Naomi’s “understudy” Lou Roy all sat down to talk about what the band is currently going through. In this section, they talked about grieving while going through getting ready to tour and tour itself, balancing an incredibly personal moment with humor and vulnerability. It is also clear that MUNA is incredibly thankful for their fans, thanking them for sticking around and acknowledging how many people in the room may be going through the same experience.

Despite Naomi’s absence for the show, Lou Roy filled in perfectly. She harmonized beautifully with the other band members, while also adding her own spin to certain songs. Lou is longtime friends with the band, which came especially apparent when talking about Naomi’s mother. After the acoustic set, the band played their upbeat anthems like “What I Want” and “Number One Fan,” turning The Van Buren into a dance party.

Overall, MUNA was able to put on a spectacular show in the midst of a personal crisis. They balanced vulnerability with humility, while maintaining a fantastic performance.