by Julia Barbosa Solorzano

On Friday October 9th, I had the opportunity to see MUNA perform at the Salt Shed in Chicago. Being my first time in Three Top venue, it was refreshing to see a wide variety of vendors and stores inside. As the show was starting, I had the chance to look around stores, check out food vendors and look around the venue itself. The opener Hemlocke Springs started around 7 pm, while people were still arriving. The audio quality was surprisingly great, as I had originally low expectations since outdoor venues tend to have lower audio quality; however, this was not the case at all. 

There were two major sections in the crowd, the VIPs which had access to a higher view of the stage from a balcony; and, the average GA. While I was in GA, I personally think it was a better view since we could face directly the stage and get closer, and I was able to freely jump around and enjoy the music.  

MUNA absolutely crushed it from the moment they went on stage. Their performance was great, balancing well the attention drawn to the performers while keeping a great production of lights and background visuals which enhanced the artists’ creative vision. As the artists were on stage, you could notice their chemistry and how they were like a family rather than a simple band. Through the song lyrics and interactions between the performers, it was evident from the closeness of the artists and how they could relate to each other in different struggles and hardships.  

Aside from the music and performance, one of the things that stood out the most during the night, was that MUNA uses their music not only to share their experience and inner thoughts in a catchy way, but also to convey a communicate a message to their fan base and audiences. Their music can make you feel comforted, make you relate to their lyrics and connect with them, but it can also make you feel uncomfortable and reflect on current society and views.  

MUNA is not scared of expressing their views and thoughts with anyone; they are bold, carefree, and wild, and that’s something that makes them so magnetic and unique. Adding to that, they are also caring for their audiences, as they explicitly and fearlessly support the LGBTQ community and are very outspoken about their political beliefs. 

This performance not only allowed me to have a great time and sing along their songs, but it also allowed me to reflect on the messages behind MUNA’s songs and witness how many of their fans strongly relate to their lyrics and feel supported and seen by the band.

Photos taken by Julia Barbosa Solorzano