mxmtoon’s ‘Dramatic Escape’ at the House of Blues

mxmtoon pulled fans between the past and present, transforming Chicago’s House of Blues into a dreamlike oasis March 26. The artist’s liminal space tour guided the crowd to a reflective, in-between state where sadness lingered but joy took center stage.

Indie pop singer-songwriter Juliet Ivy warmed up attendees ahead of mxmtoon’s set. Her upbeat vocals and clever lyricism brought the crowd into a groove, with songs like “boytoy” earning smiles before the weight of “we’re all eating each other” took the room to a deeper wavelength.

“This song’s about how we’re all gonna die — but not in a morbid way, in a really beautiful, butterfly way,” Ivy said about “we’re all eating each other.”

Dressed in a flowing white skirt and dark leather booths, mxmtoon’s arrival on stage opened a portal to an ambiguous, transient world from behind a large white door on stage — nodding to her 2024 album “liminal space.” Her opening track “dramatic escape” eased the crowd into her set with gentle guitar strums before flipping into high gear with the bluesy “i hate texas.”

“I’m turning every corner with exceeded caution / Hoping, praying, begging that you’re not in Austin / I hate Texas, but the exits have more room to run away from you,” mxmtoon sang.

The artist’s debut single “Prom Dress” offered a bout of nostalgia to the room. Equipped with a ukulele, mxmtoon sang about the struggles of coming of age in the breakthrough 2019 hit — a story which originated from her not fitting into a prom dress after eating at In-N-Out Burger as a teenager, according to Genius.

Moving on to “seasonal depression,” mxmtoon sang about winter-induced gloom, juxtaposing upbeat drums and cheery chimes with somber lyrics.

mxmtoon then re-opened the door on stage to unveil rows of colorful houses, embodying a childhood memory with the feeling of an old dream. “the situation” spoke to welcoming life’s woeful moments as part of the natural order of things.

During a water break between songs, mxmtoon reflected on “liminal space,” saying its themes of transitions and introspection reflect feelings she’s had in her early twenties.

“We just had a lot of high energy songs, that’s like 20% of my discography,” mxmtoon said. “The rest are sad songs about being gay.”

True to her word, the ensuing songs took on a more balladic mood. The heaviness of “rain” was punctuated with roaring thunder and lightning, swelling to an expected deafening crash. But just as the crowd anticipated another thunderous boom, blue skies illuminated on the screens marking a seamless transition to the heaven-likeness of “god?”

As the night progressed, mxmtoon shared her gratitude for being able to create a body of work with a woman-only team of creatives, having spent much of her early career in male-dominated spaces.

With the heaviness of much of her music’s motifs, mxmtoon’s wit and effervescence lended themselves to a welcomed reprieve.

“We’re all gonna shout ‘yipeee’ on the count of three ‘cause I feel like some of you need to loosen up a bit,” mxmtoon said with a smile. “I see some boyfriends that came with their girlfriends that need to be a little less serious.”

“VHS” brought a more personal vulnerability to the set — home videos of ballet classes, school performances and other childhood memories played behind mxmtoon as she sang about the build-up of anger experienced entering adulthood at 24 years old.

“Bite my tongue till it breaks / Blood on my cheeks, it’s been taking up more space lately / Try to scream but it always sounds pretty / Sink my nails in my skin when I’m pitied,” mxmtoon sang.

“number one boy” brought soft strings and a gentle drum beat before a joyous electricity unified the crowd during “mona lisa” —  a song about longing to be someone’s muse. Fans jumped and waved their arms in tune with the dream-like melody.

“So is there anybody out there who could change my point of view? / The way that Van Gogh uses yellow or the self in Frida Kahlo /  I could be that for you,” mxmtoon sang as multicolored light washed over the crowd.

As the set came to an end, the room’s energy only amplified. With effortless confidence, mxmtoon danced with the flow of the music and fed off of the crowd’s jubilant spirit.

mxmtoon concluded her night in Chicago with “dance (end of the world),” turning the room into a colorful, disco dream with flashing strobes and a mirrorball centering the door frame.

Closing out with an impressive moonwalk and a final bow with her band, mxmtoon left an air of elation in the room, her contagious passion for life and love leaving an everlasting echo within the four walls of the House of Blues.