Mxmtoon fills the Sinclair with joy

mxmtoon

November 8, 2019 at The Sinclair

Mxmtoon performed an upbeat sold-out set at the Sinclair on her Masquerade tour. This was her first headlining tour and first time in Boston. She brought her signature ukulele sound and connected to her audience with relatable lyrics and catchy melodies. Her singer-songwriter roots stood out on songs performed acoustically with her ukulele. But her stark & abbreviated artistic progression stood out in pieces from her most recent works.

The energy in the room was electric when mxmtoon first ran out onstage to the beat of a lead in from her drummer and keyboard player. Her name illuminated behind her, she opened up with her songs “blame game” and “unspoken words” from her first full length album “the masquerade”. These simple songs were brought to a whole new level with the drums and keyboard onstage. Mxmtoon took light melodies and transformed them into upbeat and danceable songs.

One of the most defining elements of mxmtoon’s style is her ukulele. She uses it hand in hand with her pure toned, light singing voice. She played on one of her two different uke’s in almost every song, successfully demonstrating an intimacy with her singer-songwriter beginnings.

Throughout the entire show, but especially in “suffice” and “high and dry,” mxmtoon used her lyrics as a gateway for interaction with the audience. Between songs she used that platform as a vehicle for sharing her experiences with an audience eager to relate. Being only 19, mxmtoon writes songs that address the common issues faced by today’s youth. She addresses relationships, growing up and everything in between. She talks about how frustrating relationships and life can be as a teenager and how it’s easy to feel alone sometimes. Also how growing up can be difficult when you look at where you are in your life and what’s ahead. These messages resound with her youthful audience.

She transitioned to an acoustic set in the middle of the show during which only mxmtoon and her ukulele were on stage. This was the most intimate part of the concert; however, with just the ukulele for multiple songs in a row, they started to blend together. This served as a reference point for how much she’s grown as an artist, as she gains a wider audience and greater appeal when her songs are more produced with intricate layering and structure.

Mxmtoon’s band joined her back on stage for the end of her set. As she performed her hit single “prom dress,” everyone in the room was singing along. They connected over similar experiences to those expressed in the indifferent song yet still enjoyed the upbeat sounding song for what it was. The sad lyrics worked in contrast with the happy sounding nature of the song to create a true juxtaposition. The words echoed throughout the room as the audience sang along and a spotlight reflected off the disco ball on the ceiling to create a shimmering glow across the room of smiling faces.