MUNA MADE ME GAY: Queer Bliss with MUNA

             I’ve danced alone in my bedroom to the newest MUNA self-titled record (2022) countless times now. With shimmering synths and endlessly danceable grooves, I’ve been waiting for the day that I could twirl around with the band themselves, washed out with stage lights in the unairconditioned San Francisco venue air. On October 24th, I got that opportunity, on a Monday night of all nights. After filling up on ramen at the nearby Japantown center, a few of my friends and I walked up to the historic Fillmore, where they gave out free apples next to a toy skeleton. I ended up having two apples, and they were quite amazing pre-show snacks, but I could have done without the stares.  The Fillmore is one of my favorite venues in the city, with two lines of glowing chandeliers hanging above the dance floor, and poster-lined walls serving as a constant reminder of all the legendary bands who’ve performed here before. We walked in only minutes before they came on, and the air in the room was filled with such excitement and a pinch of nervousness. The energy in the crowd was beautiful, and it remained that way through the night.

The lights went down and we rushed to the floor, a screaming crowd ensued as an extended intro of “What I Want” began to play. As the suspension grew, the three members of the band walked on stage to roaring applause. Katie Gavin, the lead singer, looked electric in a blue mini-dress and bright red hair. As she began to sing the first verse, the room sang along with each syllable; some of the loudest I’ve heard at a show.

By the time the chorus hit the entire room was dancing with such energy and catharsis, to a song that cries out for the joy and alive-feeling nature of going out, dancing in a gay bar, and making out with a stranger. The band continues back and forth between songs from their newest work to hits from their past. Regardless of each song’s place in the band’s discography, the crowd hung on to every word, turning the show into not just a concert, but an intimate celebration of queer music. Pure gay bliss on the dance floor.

There was a phrase that the band kept repeating: “queer joy.” That was the theme of the night, with Katie getting candid and personal with us about their experiences searching for a place to be and express themselves at their truest. Naomi and Josette, the other two members taking care of keyboard, bass, and guitar also expressed that MUNA was that space for them. And now, it is for us. As a trans person myself, the room definitely felt like a great environment full of other queer people that could all relate to these needs of self expression that have not been easily granted. But being able to all meet in this venue and dance the night away together as the bass rumbled and the chandeliers beamed with the beat, it was a cathartic experience that made me feel incredibly grateful to be part of such a beautiful community.

The show came to a close with their smash hit “Silk Chiffon,” a euphoric-feeling track that is purely dedicated to being a feel good pop song about the queer experience. Opener Meet Me @ The Altar’s lead singer came on to sing Phoebe Bridgers part, with the crowd not missing a single word. MUNA has branded themselves as a queer and non-binary pop band who serves the gay community, with one of their merch shirts explicitly stating “MUNA MADE ME GAY.” As the crowd filed out of the sold-out show, The Fillmore handed out a commemorative poster for the show, a cherry on top of a great concert experience. MUNA created a space for queer people to come together and forget all their worries, replacing it with the ability to dance and sing with the greatest band in the world, or at least according to their merch. 

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photos by Jaida Berkheimer.