Walking into The Basement East on Thursday night, I was sure the concert I came to see would be like any of the other small indie bands I’ve seen in Nashville. Dirty carpets and tangled amp cords filled the stage and concert goers lined up at the bar to get their favorite beverages. Despite the flow of alcohol in the room, the atmosphere remained relatively calm as fans, sporting band merch and sneakers chatted about what songs they were looking forward to hearing and what concert posters they were eyeing at the merch table. Combined with the small venue, this concert had all the ingredients for a typical indie concert recipe.
However, when the members of the Magic City Hippies (MCH) took to the stage, I knew this concert would exceed my previous judgments. Neon lights swirled throughout the venue as the band members finished setting up their instruments and the crowd roared with song requests they hoped to hear that night. However, what was different about MCH was that they actually seemed to listen to their fans’ requests — calling back to those yelling out with grins on their faces rather than ignoring them to play their pre-drafted set.

Ready to start the 2025 leg of their Enemies Tour, Magic City Hippies’ energy exceeded the all-too-familiar Nashville glow and transcended into a level of joy that made it easy to listen to each song.
MCH, a Miami-born band who pride themselves on blending surf and dance music, brought the heat starting on the opening night of their Enemies Tour. Based on a record that will be released next week, the three-man band (alongside friends from Miami) mixed upbeat club tunes with a deeper, psychedelic sound.
They opened their set with a more upbeat tune, “I Can’t Let You Go,” as three neon letters behind them (M, C and H) danced between red and blue hues with ease. Lead singer Robby Hunter commanded the room with his presence, dancing with his arms as he leaned into the microphone. Though his main role was lead singer, his role also included lead rapper, as he interweaved rap lyrics with a deepened voice filter into the beats of their music.
All three band members, as well as a separate bassist and keyboardist from Miami, danced on top of those dirty rugs and amp cords I previously marked as cliche. But it was their dancing to the music that connected them with the fans in the crowd.

After playing a few songs off their new album as well as some fan favorites from previous albums, MCH shocked the audience with a cover of “My Pony,” a song originally sung by Ginuwine. While playing the song’s signature riff, the band made it their own by transforming it into a psychedelic-sounding song, going so far as to feature a trumpet solo as part of the act. Later in the show, band members John Coughlin and Pat Howard were highlighted on yet another cover, Reptilia by The Strokes.

Transitioning back into their own music, MCH continued to spice up their set with an array of percussive instruments including a cowbell, maracas, live synthesizers and even a keytar. They featured some of their fan favorites like “Limestone” and “Bull Ride,” causing fans to transform their head nods to full-on jumping in the crowd.
Just when I thought that their concert couldn’t be more unique, Hunter leaped into the audience to finish out their set list, creating a dance circle in the middle of the floor and cheering on his band from the fan’s perspective. Then, after a well-deserved round of applause from the audience, they performed three more of their songs for an encore.
As the concert ended, I couldn’t help but feel blown away by the unique sound, fan interaction and energy Magic City Hippies gave to the crowd. Even though they danced atop dirty rugs and tangled amp cords, their show was anything but the typical indie show — it was a night to remember.