The Van Buren was packed, and the Phoenix heat hadn’t let up even after the sun went down. For a tour called “Gets So Hot,” Phoenix was definitely on theme. Fans lined up around the block hours before doors, making sure that the temperature didn’t stop them from getting a spot up front.
I was pleasantly surprised when I found out the opener was Hemlocke Springs. I’d seen her open for Chappell Roan at Brookside at the Rose Bowl in front of a crowd of over 80,000 people, so this was a much different environment to see her perform in.
She breezed through her setlist with a stage presence that was hard to look away from. Her song “gloria!” was released the night of the show, so she got to debut it live, and it was a blast. My favorite from the set was “girlfriend.” The chorus was so catchy it was still stuck in my head after MUNA’s set.
Before entering the photo pit, security informed the photographers that there would be an ASL interpreter, which I thought was amazing and something you don’t see at shows unless it’s a large festival. They opened with “It Gets So Hot,” and a run of flashing lights set the tone for the night. The barricade was full of fans in custom shirts referencing the album, some even wearing red wigs to match Katie Gavin’s look.
After an impressive run of upbeat songs, the lights came down, and the band sat center stage for a vulnerable talk with the audience. They explained that Naomi McPherson would be missing a couple of shows at the start of the tour to be with their mother for her final days. Katie Gavin and Jo Maskin told the crowd they don’t think they’ve ever played a show without McPherson, and that this loss is affecting the band deeply since McPherson’s mother helped shape it.
I was standing behind a lot of the crew during this moment, and it was emotional to see how deeply everyone was affected. Lou Roy stood in for Naomi and did an incredible job holding down backing vocals, guitar, and synths. They followed this moment with a couple of acoustic songs, which was a really beautiful tribute.
From there, the band ran through their setlist, playing songs from “Dancing On The Wall,” “MUNA,” “Saves the World,” and more. They even got a chant started for “Eastside Girls.” Throughout the show, they thanked their fans multiple times for showing up and sticking with them through this. One of the coolest things I noticed was how there were few to no phones in the audience. There was so much dancing, and it felt like this crowd genuinely knew every single lyric.
They closed with “Silk Chiffon,” and Lou Roy sang Phoebe Bridgers’ verse and absolutely crushed it. It was the best way to end the night. I’ve officially been converted into a MUNA fan, and I told multiple friends after the show to attend this tour because the energy was so infectious.
Be sure to catch MUNA on the “Gets So Hot” tour; purchase tickets HERE.
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