Synthpop duo Magdalena Bay returned to Boston to celebrate their sophomore studio record, Imaginal Disk. After selling out Royale back in September of last year, the band took it a step further and sold out the House of Blues with opener Sam Austin

Originally hailing from Miami, the LA-based duo of Mica Tenenbaum and Matthew Lewin created something larger than life when they started Magdalena Bay nearly a decade ago. After numerous releases, music videos, tours and TikToks, Magdalena Bay have cemented themselves as true pop heavyweights with Imaginal Disk. The album blends several genres of pop, alternative rock, R&B and even a bit of disco that realistically shouldn’t work, but it does. The album earned raves from critics and a horde of new fans for the band. And as good as it sounds on wax, it translates to the live show even better.

Set up with cloud-shaped scrims embedded with video screens and a massive backdrop in the style of ancient Greece, Magdalena Bay made it clear that they were here to put on a show. Opening with the first four tracks from the new record, Tenenbaum used the entire stage to her advantage to fill the space and show off her popstar chops. Fronting a band is no easy feat, but Tenenbaum commands the stage and crowd as she gracefully flutters between the screens. Lewin is right behind her, running the show from his control center while playing guitar or bass and giving cues to their touring members, Myles Sweeney (guitar/keys) and Nick Villa (drums).

Throughout an impressive 23-song setlist, Magdalena Bay managed to play the entirety of Imaginal Disk in order with a few blocks to break out the older hits. Fans were treated to singles from their debut album, such as “You Lose!” and “Chaeri,” songs from their Mini Mixes like “Top Dog” and “Tonguetwister,” and their hit “Killshot,” which went viral on TikTok. The imagery was perfectly matched for each song, pulling references from their music videos or providing entirely new footage to freshen things up. Despite the intensity of the performance, the band never showed any signs of stopping or slowing down and Boston reciprocated the energy for over 90 minutes of unadulterated fun.

Magdalena Bay continue the Imaginal Mystery Tour through the rest of the year and will be back in Boston at MGM Music Hall on October 24th.