The Dogs Were Howling: LA Band Muna's Worst Gig Ever
Los Angeles pop trio Muna recalls their most disastrous concert at a dog adoption festival in Las Vegas, where feedback caused dogs to howl. Despite the catastrophe, the band has become a compelling live act with a new album 'Dancing On The Wall'.
Every band has a horror story, but Muna's might top them all. At the start of their career, the LA trio was summoned by their label to play Pet-A-Palooza, a dog adoption festival in Las Vegas, in exchange for radio support. Exhausted from an overnight flight from London and sick, they arrived to find no sound engineer for an acoustic set. Guitar feedback produced what singer Katie Gavin called an "unholy screech," and the dogs began howling non-stop.
"The dogs were getting upset," guitarist Josette Maskin recalls with a wince. "They just howled the whole time. We were mortified, but looking back, it is so funny. I've gotten to share those experiences with some of my best friends, and that's what life is really about."
That canine catastrophe is now a distant memory. Over the past decade, Muna has become one of the most engaging live bands, earning fans like Harry Styles and Taylor Swift. Their self-titled 2022 album, released via Phoebe Bridgers' Saddest Factory label, included the breakthrough single "Silk Chiffon."
Their fourth album, "Dancing On The Wall," is darker and more powerful. Tracks like "Big Stick" critique American imperialism and police militarization, while "Eastside Girls" lovingly lampoons LA hipster culture. The band sees the album as an emotional release for times of political polarization. "I don't think it was a big decision for us," Maskin says of the political content. "We have always been a political band."
Muna continues to evolve, playing their biggest tour this autumn. As Maskin notes, their journey from a disastrous dog show to sold-out venues proves that resilience and friendship matter most.
