Nothing screams Magdalena Bay more than having a live show at Hollywood Forever Cemetery, yet Friday night’s show begged to be called something more than a concert. The Los Angeles-based and Miami-born alt-pop duo brought a catered live experience to hundreds of fans, complete with music, visuals and theatricality unique to the colorful artistry that defines the duo.

Magdelena Bay’s train never lost steam, with spirited performances from the band and vocals from the duo, lead singer Mica Tenenbaum and guitarist Matthew Lewin. The act brought its 2024 album, “Imaginal Disk,” to life with unwavering loyalty to their original sound, playing old and new tracks.

Before the music started, fans had entered the world of Magdalena Bay — thanks in no small part to the gothicism and humor of the venue. Upon entering, fans strolled down an illuminated avenue passing cared-for crypts, large and small, before arriving at a sprawling lawn, where picnic tables and spaces for blankets welcomed concertgoers with open arms.

Aside from the taco stand and bar tent on one side of the lawn, the other side unsurprisingly carried the merch tent, but less unsurprisingly carried a face paint tent in which attendees could have the top halves of their faces airbrushed periwinkle to match Tenenbaum’s signature look. There was also a fantastical photo op with more whimsical, twisting set pieces and props for concertgoers, blue or unpainted alike, to take pictures in front of.

Sam Austins opened the concert as a low-key yet colorful precursor to Magdalena Bay, performing some of his hits, including “Seasons” and the newly released “Wipe your tears.” His quieter electropop style lent itself to preparing the audience for the headliner’s more explosive and sugary sound, earning appreciative headbobs from eager concertgoers.

However, nothing could have matched the excitement of Magdalena Bay’s entrance onto a stage complete with Seussical-esque set pieces and a blue-sky backdrop, immediately setting the show in the clouds. A television on one end and a mirror on the other, both pieces further transported viewers with psychedelic and surreal images that changed with each song, including two tongues battling it out in a boxing ring for “Tonguetwister.”

“Their set design and the overall presentation of the stage were sort of magnificent and whimsical in a way that I didn’t quite expect,” said concertgoer Oliver Rothenberg. “I’d never been to a show in Hollywood Forever, and seeing it back into the mausoleum has a fun energy and spirit to it that I have not experienced in a live show.”

Tenenbaum left no part of the stage neglected, dancing around a brain with wings at the front of the stage and running up and down the elevated set pieces. The theatricality of the show continued beyond the set design, with the lead singer shedding and donning several masks and costumes throughout the show, changing her body language with each one to tell a story unique to the song.

For example, the singer took on a sunflower cowl for “Vampire in the Corner” and visibly wilted for the verses, “Sorry like a flower that never gets any sun / I hang my head down, let the bees do their buzz.”

The crowd was as much a part of the show’s narrative as Tenenbaum, providing a live Greek chorus to the story unfolding on stage. Dancing was not in short supply, and for each note that opened a song, excitement would immediately erupt among a dancing crowd that knew every word.

With hands in the air for “Death & Romance” and an interactive portion of “Chaeri” as she sang, “Three, four, down to the floor / Lose control / Little more,” the audience was the train and Tenenbaum was the conductor.

“It’s just really dope. It’s a huge crowd, which I wasn’t expecting,” said Sylvie Lodish, an attendee and USC alum who graduated last year. “Because they have two nights [at Hollywood Forever], I was expecting there not to be that many people, but it’s a physical crowd.”

With tracks from all over their discography — including “Paint Me A Picture,” an unreleased song — the show was a true homage to not only their fans, but also their progress and sense of artistry as a band.

“They’ve really included a lot of music from their past albums, which is really nice, because when bands go on tour, they usually include just their latest stuff,” said attendee Roberto Euan. “And with this one, it’s been a really nice mix of both of them.”

The night was refreshingly lacking in nonchalance, with each aspect screaming of curation for a maximized, self-aware experience at Hollywood Forever — they even ended with their song, “The Beginning.”

“They’ve put in a lot of work for this album, and they created this whole world and aesthetic about it that is really interesting,” Euan said. “Listening to the album really goes with the image that they have in the show, the screens, the portals and the costumes.”

As the show closed, Tenenbaum’s silhouette danced across the back wall of the mausoleum among the unseen spirits of the cemetery’s inhabitants. Magdalena Bay’s performance, though over, would live on in the minds of the audience, a perfect complement to the simultaneous mortality and longevity of the venue.

“Well, Los Angeles, like a butterfly suspended in amber,” Tenenbaum said, “we’ve made this moment eternal.”