Nashville’s heat wave might have (finally) been breaking on the day MUNA returned to Music City, but the band brought the heat right back with an electric performance at The Pinnacle on September 22nd, 2026. Touring their fourth album Dancing On The Wall, released in May of this year, Nashville was one of the early stops on a run of shows that will continue across the United States and Europe through November. The crowd at The Pinnacle was buzzing as doors opened, and the room quickly filled with the girls, gays, theys, and even some straight men (!) of Nashville.
To kick the night off, LA-based artist hemlocke springs pranced onstage, immediately bringing the energy as she danced, kicked, and strutted her way around. Adorned in glitter and sporting vibrant purple hair, she quickly got the crowd dancing right along with her as she performed high-energy selections from her discography, including hits like “girlfriend” and “be the girl!”
Soon after, it was time — the room went dark, the audience lost their minds, and MUNA took the stage to an electrifying chorus of screams and cheers. Lead singer Katie Gavin emerged in a gorgeous red set with white lace tights, alongside lead guitarist Josette Maskin and musician Lou Roy (filling in for band member Naomi McPherson on the beginning of tour).
The band opened the show with European dance-style banger “It Gets So Hot” (which also serves as the opener to their recent album). The lights pulsed to the beat as Gavin sang, danced, and looked out to the full room of MUNA fans who were passionately yelling every word back to her. The band went immediately into their album’s title track, followed by the pulsing “Wannabeher” as Gavin, Maskin, and Roy engaged with the crowd and each other.
The crowd was a sea of colored hair, beaded bracelets, homemade outfits, and bubbles (not sure where those came from, but the crowd was loving it). There wasn’t a person in the room that could resist moving, whether that was simply nodding their head to the beat or wildly whipping their hair around while jumping up and down. The band played almost every song from their new album, including “Eastside Girls” (in which Nashville gets mentioned by name in the bridge, to the delight of the crowd) and the political anthem “Big Stick” (allowing the audience to share in a collective moment of rage). Gavin even broke out her violin to play during “Why Do I Get A Good Feeling,” which was met by thunderous applause.
The acoustic section of the show featured beautiful acoustic performances of “Brother” and “Taken.” Gavin gave a special, emotional shoutout to Harriet, McPherson’s mother and the reason for their absence on this leg of the tour, speaking to the sense of family within the band.
The energy didn’t stay somber for long, though, as MUNA jumped back into bangers like “What I Want” and “Number One Fan.” For “Anything but Me,” the band was joined by Stacie — no, not a person, but rather an inflatable horse bounced around by the crowd for the duration of the song. Gavin gave a special shoutout to the audience for “doing amazing” as she spoke to her love for Nashville and the songs they’d written there.
“Buzzkiller,” which Gavin described as probably the saddest song on the album, closed out the main portion of the setlist with stunning vocals from Gavin, but it wasn’t long before the band was back on stage to perform audience favorites “Stayaway” and “I Know a Place.” The show ended on a high with “Silk Chiffon,” the band’s most popular song — and it was easy to see why, as the entire crowd danced and sang “life’s so fun, life’s so fun” with their hands in the air.
Gavin called these shows a “sacred space,” and that couldn’t have been more clear from my position in the crowd. I watched best friends grab hands and twirl one another, queer couples hold each other close and kiss under the dim lights, and strangers unite in their love for the beloved band before them. It was a night of unapologetic queer joy, where every person in the audience was unafraid to be themselves — knowing they were deeply loved by both the people on stage and those dancing around them.
If you’re ready to experience the magic of a MUNA show for yourself, you can learn more about the tour dates and tickets here!
Words and photos by Kayla Simon
