Muna Thrill Sold-Out Terminal 5 on First of Two-Night Run
May 09, 2023
Muna – Terminal 5 – May 8, 2023
College friends Katie Gavin, Josette Maskin and Naomi McPherson met at the University of Southern California. Naturally, music majors Gavin and Maskin began playing together with McPherson as Muna. It wasn’t long until their talents were discovered by RCA, which released their first two albums, 2017’s About U and 2019’s Saves the World. Soon into the COVID-19 pandemic, the band was dropped by the label due to profitability reasons only to be picked up by Phoebe Bridgers’ Saddest Factory Records in 2021. That fall the band released the pop-buoyant queer anthem “Silk Chiffon,” featuring Bridgers, off last year’s self-titled album. Just last month at Coachella, Muna and Bridgers reunited to perform the “redemption song for young, queer makeouts” with Boygenius, Bridgers’ supergroup with Lucy Dacus and Julien Baker. Muna also debuted “One That Got Away” at the scene-y music festival and brought much of that same energy on their Life’s So Fun Tour to Terminal 5 on Monday evening.
On the first of two sold-out nights, Muna opened with the synth-heavy “What I Want” to a sea of adoring fans, and it was apparent what they wanted. Gavin would quickly strip off her jacket after dancing and prancing to “Solid.” The frontwoman expressed how “special” and “inspiring” New York City is as it’s where they had a creative writing burst on a summer stay in Brooklyn. Waving arms would sway to the gauzy “Loose Garment” before Gavin would forego her “sexy gloves” for an acoustic guitar to play the oldie-but-goodie “Winterbreak.” By the tail end of the set, inflatable horses were tossed into the crowd for “Anything but Me,” and their latest release, “One That Got Away,” had everyone in the room singing along. A brief exit offstage built up cheers for an encore, which included “I Know a Place” and “Silk Chiffon” to cap off a joyous night. —Sharlene Chiu | @Shar0ck
(Muna play Terminal 5 again tonight.)
Photos courtesy of Andrew Pintado | www.drewmartinphoto.com
