Gallery: Magdalena Bay in San Franciso
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☆ PHOTOS BY ELIJAH CLOWER ☆
Magdalena Bay kicked off their Imaginal Mystery Tour at The Warfield in San Francisco in spectacular fashion. Though I’m newer to their catalog, I’ve seen enough visuals and hype online over the past months to know this was a show worth catching—and it lived up to every expectation. From their first note, Mica’s presence and energy anchored the performance in a way that drew focus naturally to her as the duo’s emotional and visual center.
That said, Matthew—who is a deeply talented musician and producer—sometimes receded into the background stage-wise. His contributions were there (especially during guitar solos on tracks like “Fear, Sex” and “Watching T.V.”), and when he had the spotlight the energy soared, but those moments were fewer than I’d hoped. Still, Mica more than made up for that imbalance. Her charisma, expressive movements, and full-commitment persona turned every transition into a narrative treat. The production leaned heavily into their sci-fi aesthetics—with synchronized video, dramatic visuals, and costume flair—and the show felt like stepping inside Imaginal Disk itself.
They ran the album in full interspersed with fan favorites, building to “The Ballad of Matt & Mica,” which landed like a quiet, emotional blast. While there was a lull in the middle when slower tracks clustered, the highs (especially the visual peaks) kept the night from ever losing grip. All told: stunning, immersive, and a show that proved Magdalena Bay is as much theater as it is pop. I’m genuinely excited to continue to see them grow and blow up!
