Read previous – Meet Me @ The Altar at the TLA
Greatest band in the world MUNA performed to a sold out crowd at The Fillmore Philly on Wednesday, September 28th along with pop-punk virtuosos Meet Me @ The Altar. MUNA released their outstanding self-titled third LP earlier this year, their first on Phoebe Bridgers‘ Saddest Factory Records.
I’ve somehow missed out on every prior opportunity to catch MUNA live, but I was ecstatic that I would be able to see them along with MMATA. We’ve been fans of MMATA since the release of their 2021 breakout track “Hit Like A Girl” and had a chance to catch them earlier this year at the TLA. They kicked off their set with new track “Say It (To My Face)“, a song where they pull a Jay and Silent Bob on their haters. Midway through their short 30 minute set, they played an acoustic version of “Garden” during which the crowd raised their smartphone flashlights en masse – it was a spectacle that singer Edith Victoria stated had never happened before. Rather than sticking with their hits, they played a number of new tracks including set-closer “Kool”. There was no “Hit Like A Girl”, but I wasn’t mad because the new songs sounded great.
It’s been over a year since the release of MUNA lead single “Silk Chiffon“. It was no doubt the biggest indie pop track of 2021 and I remember it causing quite the stir upon its release. While separate tours supporting Phoebe Bridgers and Kacey Musgraves have recently helped to raise their profile, MUNA have been putting out pop bangers since 2017 – on their latest LP, only more so. MUNA is currently my top pop album of the year, but I’m reserving final judgment until the release of Midnights later this month. BTW, anyone else predicting a MUNA feature on Midnights?
Performing through nearly the entirety of their latest LP (as well as tracks from About U and Saves the World), MUNA had amazing chemistry on stage and gave an electrifying performance – guitarist Josette Maskin’s signature gyrations drove the crowd particularly wild. A few songs into their set, singer Katie Gavin shared that this show was their largest sold out headlining performance to date; however, even with the 2000+ capacity of The Fillmore, they still managed to make it feel like an intimate performance. Mid-set, they slowed things down a bit with a series of tracks that included “Loose Garment” and “Kind of Girl” before ramping back up the energy with “Home By Now” and “Anything But Me”. They slowed things down again with MUNA closer “Shooting Star”, a song that really showcases their harmonies and has no shortage of emotion. They closed out the night with “Silk Chiffon” and the crowd predictably went wild – what a fabulous way to end the night.
MUNA will be continuing on tour through October before heading across the pond to the UK – see all of their upcoming tour dates here. Check out the music video for “Anything But Me” below and keep scrolling to see more photos from the show.
