According to singer-songwriter mxmtoon, writing music had to happen once Mitski wasn’t hitting hard enough anymore. So naturally, that energy attracted a large and devoted following- and the evidence was present in a sold out show at The Van Buren last week.
Pop starlet Chloe Moriondo took the stage as the sole opener for the night. With her sweet smile and stickered acoustic guitar, Moriando immediately charmed those in the audience who weren’t already looking up with stars in their eyes. Her set was brief, but included tracks from her latest album- “I Eat Boys” was a fan favorite- and even brought out two guitarists to assist on a few songs. Between songs, fans shouted declarations of love and had Moriondo giggling into her lyrics before closing out with an acoustic rendition of “Manta Rays”.
Mxmtoon is celebrating the release of her latest album, Rising, and made sure that Phoenix was there to dance with her. The show started on a high note as “Falling for You” and “Sad Disco” warmed up the crowd. Maia was effortlessly funny and relatable onstage, telling anecdotes about writing the new album and having the audience shout “SLAY” before continuing the set.
“Is it okay if I girlboss and play some acoustic songs?” was the question of night- and of course, the answer was a resounding yes as she broke out the ukulele for some emo jams. Moriando made a guest appearance on “Ok On Your Own” as the two ladies held their own dance party with the fans.
Mxmtoon spoke a lot about her family, as much of the new album relates to her parents- at the request of both of them. After an adorable story about her mom and dad, we were treated to a beautiful performance of “Victim of Nostalgia” before the main set closed out with “Bon Iver”.
Phoenix wasn’t ready to let go though and the band returned for a delightful encore of “Prom Dress” and “Mona Lisa”. If ever we needed songs like mxmtoon’s, the time is now and we’re very excited for any new releases from this rising star.
Check out all the photos from the show!
Story and photos by Olivia Khiel
