This is probably the gayest but most entertained concert I even been to. All the previous concerts I’ve been to, from Regina Spektor to KT Tunstall to Jason Mraz to Imogen Heap, most of them are pretty simple, just the performers, their bands and the instruments, nothing fancy because their focus was the music. For Mika, you get the whole show! There’s all kind of props and costume changes. Before the concert I wasn’t sure if he is those studio singers that can’t sing live, but his energetic and flamboyant performance really proved that he can sing live and put on a show!

From the flowers arrangement on the stage to the giant curtain that covers the entire back I know it’s a very difference show that the simple, all about the music kind of show that I am used to. The show started with lights behind the curtain showing a giant balloon in the middle of the stage – which pops and jumped out a girl dancing, then Mika jumped out with an all white ensemble that only someone that campy can pull it off, anyway, he was singing Relax, Take It Easy. I was surprised that the stage was extended toward the audience too, from where I was standing I didn’t know. It was quite nice to have feature so that he can come so close to the audience. It definitely benefit short people like me who is constantly blocked by other taller individuals.

Next song take the stage to a whole new level – a gigantic blow-up doll of a big woman in the background, and then comes lots of plus size women dancing for the song Big Girl You Are Beautiful, it’s quite awesome. Song after songs the show used many kind of props and costumes, from giant puppeteer representative of a gentle Death to a shadow theater of bad bunnies and the wolf, to big balloons and raining a godzillion tons of papers for Lollipop. For a show in such a small mid size venue, I really don’t expect that they put this much work into it! My favorite part of the show was during the song Love Today, where the drummer was drumming on the guitarist’s guitar while he’s still playing!! It’s a unique kind of face off!! Then Mika take it up a notch by taking his shirt off and have a drumming contest with his drummer. I have to admit that was kinda hot and fun!

If you heard Mika’s music, you know it’s really pop and campy, there’s probably the first thing that come to your mind. But if you listen to the lyric, the songs are actually quite meaningful (Big Girl and Billy Brown) and sometimes down right sad. Lyrics like “I tried to live alone/But lonely is so lonely, alone/So human as I am/I had to give up my defenses/So I smiled and tried to mean it/To make myself let go” or “This is the way you left me, I’m not pretending, No hope, no love, no glory, No happy ending/This is the way that we love,Like it’s forever,Then live the rest of our life/But not together.” How can anyone not choke up with that kind of lyrics? My favorite song in the show was Happy Ending. It was so powerful and touching, I had a hard time holding back whatever trying to coming out of my eyes.

My big complaint of the night wasn’t directly to the show but to the people attending. The Mary-Kate generation! (Might have been the Hannah Montana generation for all i know!) the rude 20 years old girls who has no concept of personal space! They are loud and pushy, (and smells too!) Then there’s this drunken hooked figure coming out of nowhere standing right in front of me blocking my view the whole time! not to mention the dancy girls right next to me who all of the sudden started smoking! It was a horror! I almost wanted to call 311 and tell the Mayor that someone is smoking indoor! Despite all that, the show was really awesome that I was able to stand this type of behavior for a little while.

Once again I forgot to bring my camera, so all pictures are from TooHotty! thanks!

Related posts:

1. Mika@United Palace Theater
2. Regina Spektor Concert
3. Concert
4. My Favorite Music of 2009 (2)
5. Regina Spektor@Radio City

Tagged: concert · Mika · Music