MUNA played their second night at the Royale in Boston on the 19th, the first city of their fall tour celebrating the release of their self-titled third studio album. The 3-piece indie pop band - consisting of Katie Gavin, Josette Maskin, and Naomi McPherson - definitely brought the energy to their performance, especially with pop punk band Meet Me at the Altar opening up for them.

MM@TA

Opening for MUNA on this fall tour, Meet Me at the Altar consists of Edith Victoria (vocals), Tea Campbell (guitar, bass), and Ada Juarez (drums). The trio opened their set with an unreleased song, Say It (To My Face), coming out September 30. Although MM@TA continued to play new and unreleased songs, the crowd was still receptive and kept the energy high throughout the set. In between songs, lead vocals Edith talked about the band’s origin story, and gave a small pep talk and words of encouragement to the audience. Before their penultimate song TMI, which is also unreleased, Edith described how this is the band’s first very open, honest, and vulnerable song. To end their set, the band played another unreleased song Kool, but not before starting a “MUNA” chant with the audience. Overall, the band got the crowd warmed up and excited, and ready to see MUNA.

MUNA

Just as the lights dimmed, the audience cheered for MUNA to come on stage. One by one, touring players and members of the band started walking on stage with strobing lights and instrumental music to start the show. The show started with their performance of What I Want from their newest album. The high energy continued through the show as they sang songs like Solid and Runner’s High, with the stage production matching perfectly well. MUNA made it a point to connect with their fans through the show, especially through being appreciative of them after almost 10 years of being a band. The band slowed the energy down for a bit to sing more tender songs like Loose Garment, Navy Blue, and Kind of Girl; Katie described the type of relationship she wanted to create with her pain through these songs. To add to the fan connection, the trio expressed that Boston, as their first stop on tour, was unforgettable and extra special because their touring guitarist is a Boston native. Toward the end of their set; MUNA dedicated I Know a Place to those who haven’t felt safe in a physical space because of one of their identities, and expressed that their shows would always be a safe space; even the bathrooms at the venue were gender neutral at the request of the band. Finally, the crowd yelled for an encore before they came back to sing Shooting Star and, their most popular song, Silk Chiffon. To end the show, MUNA brought out Meet Me at the Altar for the last portion of the song, and then thanked everybody for the wonderful night. This show definitely made me fall in love with MUNA and I would go to every stop on the tour if I could. This show is definitely a must-see!