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Magdalena Bay host a playful party for Fine Line debut

November 07, 2022

Magdalena Bay performed at Fine Line Music Cafe in Minneapolis on Friday, November 4, 2022.Sara Fish for MPR

With an angel-sleeve leotard, glittery makeup, and sweet, breathy vocals, Mica Tenenbaum emerged as an enigma on the Fine Line’s stage Friday night. Magdalena Bay is an alternative pop duo formed by the vocalist and guitarist/keyboardist Matthew Lewin. For their Minneapolis debut, the two hosted a whimsical, peppy night for adoring fans.

Before they hit the stage, hands swayed back and forth as the opener BAYLI sensually rapped and sang over R&B beats. Not only did she express her love for the audience’s energy in words, but repeatedly formed heart signs with her fingers. Under a haze, she closed with her breakout single, “sushi for breakfast,” which features lyrics highlighting her queer identity.

Woman holds microphone and points toward the crowd — Magdalena Bay, joined by opener Bayli, performed at Fine Line in Minneapolis on Friday, November 4, 2022.
Sara Fish for MPR

Magdalena Bay’s time on stage followed a carefully choreographed storyline. The overarching narrative was about Chaeri — not the song “Chaeri” from Mercurial World — but an on-screen disembodied bot that Tenenbaum occasionally spoke to throughout the night. Chaeri’s face was projected onto a floor-to-ceiling screen behind the stage. Skits between songs chronicled the bot’s attempts to become human, and Magdalena Bay’s goal was to make that happen by sharing their music.

To teach Chaeri about love and fear, they played “Hysterical Us.” To teach about dancing, they played “You Wanna Dance?” “I’m excited to see the world and all of its wonder,” Chaeri said in a digitized voice. Some might have considered it a corny bit, but it was certainly one-of-a-kind.

Chaeri desired another aspect of humanity: secrets. Tenenbaum had asked social media followers to send anonymous secrets for them to reveal on stage – similar to the skits interspersed on Mercurial World. After “Secrets (Your Fire),” phone recordings of Minneapolis fans' secrets played. A few included crushing on a friend’s mom, eloping, and coming out as transgender. “I crave secrets. Please feed me more,” Chaeri said.

A duo performs on stage under white and pink light beams — Magdalena Bay, joined by opener Bayli, performed at Fine Line in Minneapolis on Friday, November 4, 2022.
Sara Fish for MPR

The bot wasn’t the star of the whole show, though. Tenenbaum wore a wireless mic so both of her hands could float freely. As she bounced around in circles, her carefree demeanor was reminiscent of a child shamelessly dancing in their bedroom to a cathartic song. When she wasn’t gracefully shimmying across the stage, her arms jolted upward when tempos changed. Aside from sitting close to each other for “All You Do,” she and Lewin didn’t interact much. Carrying a consistent energy all night, Tenenbaum knew how to occupy center stage.

Tenenbaum clearly has gentle vocals when singing, but a high pitch tone arose when she spoke to the audience. She seemed to present a caricature of herself. There were a few moments that felt like a school field trip to see a musical. In an instructional, teacher-esque voice, Tenenbaum said, “We are going to try doing something together now,” she asked the crowd to repeat the lyrics, “Three, four, down to the floor / Lose control, little more” on “Chaeri.”

Magdalena Bay’s style blurs the line between artist and character. Tenenbaum’s brief adornment of rabbit mask may have had some thinking, “Who are these people?” But after all, this was a concert, and they were performers. Who’s to say that a performer has to show up as their most authentic self on stage?

A vocalist and instrumentalist perform on a lit-up stage — Magdalena Bay performed at Fine Line Music Cafe in Minneapolis on Friday, November 4, 2022.
Sara Fish for MPR

The duo showed up to entertain and did so successfully. The determining factor was the music itself, which was just as Y2K as it was timeless. The house beats felt like a mellow rave and the synth waves like a strobing disco dance. Hooks on songs like “You Lose!” and “Dreamcatching” were irresistible.

A colorful aesthetic matched and elevated the music. The graphics on screen shifted all night, never repeating from song to song. There were brains, stethoscopes, paper clips, sunsets, diamonds, palm trees, dancing skeletons, globes on fire, butterflies, basketball games — just to name a few. And anime. Tenenbaum dedicated “Killshot” to anime lovers as Japanese figures flickered.

And how did all of this chaotic stimulation manifest in the crowd? Fine Line’s energy was far more impassioned than expected. People near the stage only stopped (respectfully) jumping when songs ended. Two younger people held hands as they jumped and smiled at each other. The only word to describe looks on faces is joy. People were having absolute fun. After the encore, a crowd member in disbelief shouted, “That was even better in person!”

The night was just as satisfying for Chaeri as it was to the audience. Near the end of the set, the bot proclaimed the realization that existing in corporeal form is an important part of being human; they were ready for their own body. Before playing “How to Get Physical,” Tenenbaum pulled out a mannequin from the side of the stage, implying that Chaeri would take control of the body. Their last words were, “You are all a part of me now,” and they concluded that music helps us understand each other. Hopefully, Fine Line attendees walked out with the same thought.

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