There's something beautifully perverse about dancing among the dead. As the sun set over Hollywood Forever Cemetery, Mica Tenenbaum and Matthew Lewin, the alt-pop alchemists behind Magdalena Bay, transformed the venue's Fairbanks Lawn into a living, breathing portal to another dimension. The choice of venue felt less like a booking decision and more like a manifesto: in a city built on manufactured dreams and forgotten stars, Magdalena Bay chose to celebrate art's simultaneous mortality and immortality.
The experience began long before the first note. Walking through the cemetery's illuminated pathways, past crypts both grand and intimate, felt like crossing a threshold into the duo's carefully constructed universe.
The grounds offered pre-show delights that extended the duo's whimsical aesthetic: a face paint tent where fans could get their faces airbrushed in Tenenbaum's signature periwinkle hue, a photo installation with Dr. Seuss-meets-sci-fi props, and the usual merch and refreshment stations. Picnic blankets dotted the lawn as fans settled in, many already sporting the blue face paint that would later mirror Mica on stage.
When Magdalena Bay finally emerged, the staging alone made clear this was no ordinary performance. Seussical-inspired set pieces towered against a bright blue-sky backdrop, creating the illusion of performing in the clouds. A television on one side, a mirror on the other – both became portals for psychedelic visuals that evolved with each song. During "Tonguetwister," two animated tongues battled in a boxing ring. It was absurd, delightful, and completely on-brand.
Photo Credit: Debi Del Grande
The theatricality extended to Tenenbaum herself, who commanded every inch of the elevated stage. She danced around a winged brain prop at the front, scaled the set pieces with abandon, and underwent multiple costume changes throughout the night—each transformation telling its own story. For "Vampire in the Corner," she donned a sunflower cowl and physically embodied the wilting imagery of the lyrics: "Sorry like a flower that never gets any sun / I hang my head down, let the bees do their buzz."
Photo Credit: Debi Del Grande
Magdalena Bay delivered a setlist that honored their entire discography, from Mercurial World through their latest album Imaginal Disk, plus the just recently released "Paint Me A Picture." The duo's commitment to their recorded sound translated seamlessly to the live setting, with the band bringing spirited energy that never flagged across the two-hour performance.
The crowd, massive for a two-night stand, knew every word. Hands shot up for "Death & Romance." During "Chaeri," Tenenbaum led an interactive call-and-response: "Three, four, down to the floor / Lose control / Little more."
Photo Credit: Debi Del Grande
As the show reached its finale, Tenenbaum's silhouette danced across the mausoleum's back wall, her movements intertwining with the unseen spirits of Hollywood Forever's permanent residents. It was a fitting image for a duo that exists in the liminal space between past and future, between the digital and the analog, between life and the art that outlives us.
In a cemetery where mortality is the constant companion, Magdalena Bay proved that some performances transcend their moment—that the right combination of vision, craft, and fearless creativity can indeed suspend time, even if just for one perfect night among the tombstones.
