About U, About Seattle - MUNA Gig Review! 2/10/17

MUNA

w/Lo Moon

Seattle, WA

February 10, 2017

@ Sunset Tavern

Greetings!

The greater Seattle area experienced a wide flux in the weather last week.  From snow and ice on Monday and Tuesday to flood-like rain and wind Wednesday and Thursday, by Friday evening things were back to "normal" for a typical February here in Seattle.

The Sunset Tavern hosted the synth-pop group MUNA on Friday night with Lo Moon opening the show.  The show had been sold out for a few weeks prior to the gig which meant the back room of the Sunset was going to be packed.

Katie Gavin, Josette Maskin, and Naomi McPherson had just released their album earlier this month, "About U", and were on the road in support of it.  

Lo Moon started things off at 9pm with their brand of dream pop tunes.  Atmospheric and catchy, the band was a complimentary match for the tour.  I found their songs very well crafted and rich with choice musical tones.  This made Lo Moon a pleasure to listen to.  They received a warm response from the sold out crowd.  

10pm brought MUNA to the stage.  The trio backed with a live rhythm section launched straight into, "I Know A Place".  The fans, which were a wide mix of queer, straight, and other, exploded as the band blasted their brand of dark pop to the crowd.  

Katie dressed in a leather biker jacket, flanked by Josette and Naomi on each side of the stage, sang her heart out.  Such poignant lyrics about relationships gone wrong, abusive relationships, shaming, coming out/identifying as queer, and other deep subjects really brought MUNA's music to another level - well beyond simple pop.  MUNA's music is anything but.

The band was high energy, fun, skilled, and very professional.  The crowd was eating it up and rightfully so.  If you were there you couldn't help but get caught up in the music and atmosphere inside the Sunset.

MUNA played all the songs off the new album, including a new song as well (see photo of the set list I grabbed at the end of the show).  I stayed for a bit after the show but had to hit the road as I had an early day the next morning.  Otherwise, I would of loved to have talked to the band a bit after the set.  

Also, kudos to RCA for releasing the album on CD, album, and cassette tape.  I picked up the CD and cassette.  Digital and analog - good times!

MUNA are such a breath of fresh air in the music scene.  I would love nothing more than to see them consistently tour, raise their profile, and conquer each level before them.  They have the talent and live presence to, not only reach the top, but also perhaps more importantly reach the top on their own terms.

If they come to your town on this current tour, do yourself a favor and go to the show.  You'll have a hell of a good time!

 

Cheers!

Mark

EA

Special Thanks:  Michelle @ RCA for the credentials.  Thank you for being so professional with your correspondence and how you go about your business.  

Lo Moon