Live Review: mxmtoon at The Wiltern

Gerry Hwang March 8th, 2025 - 4:18 PM

When does a musician stop growing as a person and artist? Oakland-raised indie bedroom pop and lo-fi pop singer-songwriter mxmtoon delivered a youthful yet unfeigned performance at The Wiltern on March 6^th, 2025. Her Los Angeles stop was part of her The Liminal Space tour throughout the North American region, which featured the songs from the newly released album of the same name and her sensational ukulele-driven lo-fi pop songs.

Mxmtoon’s performance was, needless to say, filled with rebellious teenage spirit and earnest introspection of one’s complex emotions. In other words, her performance felt like watching a mix of the high-spirited teen movie 10 Things I Hate About You (1999) and the poignant road trip movie Little Miss Sunshine (2006).

Interestingly, the night at The Wiltern showed a new side of mxmtoon’s traditional approach to her soft ukulele-driven lo-fi pop songs. Especially as the songs from her latest album, The Liminal Space, illustrated an experimental approach to her bedroom pop songs, which included elements of electro-pop and hints of country music. The setlist choice to contrast both works of her present self and her past self was quite an astonishing choice as well – which audaciously showed the fans at The Wiltern perhaps of the singer’s unstoppable spirit of perseverance of the singer.

Before mxmtoon took the stage, Toronto-based bedroom pop singer Luna Li amazed the fans with her versatility as a versatile multi-instrumentalist and sentimental singer. Her slow-tempo bedroom pop song, flawlessly played on classical instruments such as violin and harp, was a pleasantly calming beginning for the night, which included moody and melancholic song choices such as Cherry Pit and Afterglow.

After Luna Li’s soothing performance, mxmtoon and her band members audaciously leaped onto the stage. As her dedicated fans at The Wiltern erupted with ecstatic cheer after her appearance, mxmtoon began playing her first song of the night, Dramatic Escape – a wholesome reflection about embracing subtle life changes as part of growing into maturity. When mxmtoon began singing her first song, four windows and a door behind the singer were beautifully lit up – as there were electronic screens inside of these bedroom interior items, showcasing moody outdoor sceneries. This minimalistic yet ingenious stage prop was perhaps a metaphorical representation that mxmtoon was inviting the audience to her world – if not a glimpse into her personal life. The song’s uplifting yet cautiously slow-paced electro-pop melody, along with mxmtoon’s emotionally compressed husky vocal, was an impeccable beginning to a heartfelt road trip her fans were about to embark on.

As the night went on, mxmtoon continuously delivered youthfully energetic yet deeply heartfelt performances for the fans. Some of the highlights of the night included her live performance of the sensational and sentimental ukulele-driven lo-fi hip hop songs prom dress and seasonal depression, another uplifting electro-pop melodic song the situation, folk-infused country songs god? and i hate texas, a wholesome duet performance with opening act performer Luna Li of a slow yet emotionally delicate song now’s not the time, as she finished the night with an adventurous tropical house inspired song dance (end of the world).

While singing and playing her ukulele, mxmtoon’s expression was extraordinarily pure and wholesome. Especially, one of the most memorable moments of the show included mxmtoon’s affectionate live performance of a song recalling her nostalgic recollection of youth VHS – all the while a compiled camcorder footage of the singer was being played inside the screen of four windows and a door on the stage. The minimalistic stage choice and intentionally specific visual choices in the background of the stage were perhaps suitable for the mood and the sentiments of the night at The Wiltern.

It was amazing to see how the now 24-year-old singer, despite being known for her traditionally lo-fi pop songs, has challenged herself to take an experimental venture toward trying out different genres to her bedroom pop music – all the while maintaining her heartfelt vocal ability and her youthful playfulness. The night at The Wiltern was thus a showcasing of the singer’s cautious yet bold step toward her artistic craft and expression. It is exhilarating to see how much mxmtoon will grow both as a bedroom pop artist and as a person in the foreseeable future – as she has showcased her confidence and potential to The Wiltern fans.

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