Review | The Imaginal Mystery Tour with Magdalena Bay

One of my favorite musical memories of my life was walking through my hometown, in the neighborhood right by the house I grew up in, listening to Imaginal Disk in one earbud in my left ear while the guy I was dating listened in his right ear. We listened top to bottom as the night fell, and in between each song, we took turns raving about how much we loved it. It genuinely blew my mind and made me look at music in a whole new way. 

The album is at once spiraling into possibilities with a brave charge forward, while placing thoughtful choices in the exact right places with an evidently high musical knowledge. It builds a world but doesn’t look down on those wanting to come in, inviting you in to experience something you never have before. The artist of this record, Magdalena Bay, is an alternative pop duo of Mica Tenenbaum and Matthew Lewin, who met in high school. Both Tenenbaum and Lewin write and produce for the band, and Tenenbaum sings a soft, breathy, and dark lead vocal. They started off with the same sound they are known and loved for now, but a bit more DIY with matching artsy visuals to match. At their show in Anaheim at the House of Blues, their visuals were ramped up a thousand percent, with a stage full of beautiful set pieces and digital screens that encapsulated the visuals of Imaginal Disk. Bright blues and red lights, the prettiest outfits, and flowing capes wrapped the band throughout the night. They played “She Looked Like Me!” and “Killing Time,” and “True Blue Interlude,” to start the night, the first three songs of the record.

The crowd was insanely loud, and everyone started dancing. The dancing revved up for their upbeat hits such as “Image,” “Death & Romance,” “Vampire in the Corner,” and “Love Is Everywhere.” There were songs off the record as well, such as “Top Dog,” “Chaeri,” and “Tonguetwister.” 

The highlight of the night for me was seeing “Cry for Me,” my favorite song of 2024 and one of my favorite songs of all time. Tenenbaum swayed back and forth, while a wind machine blew her hair and she waved her cape back and forth to the music. “Share a little kiss, and that’s forever / Think of love when you remember me / I’m standing right over here / I did it all for you.” 

Hearing the layers of sounds added as the second half kept building, as Lewin and the rest of the band played live behind her, was truly one of the best live experiences I’ve had. 

The band ended the night with “Ghost,” “Second Sleep,” and, ironically, “The Beginning.” “So if you feel low, sit back, enjoy the show / Like a kaleidoscope in technicolor tonight / In technicolor tonight.” A fitting lyric in a fitting song to end the evening, I left wishing I could follow Tenenbaum’s advice any time I was feeling low. But, for now, I’m glad I had that night.