This week is truly a concert week, besides going to Regina’s concert the other day, Friday I went to Mika’s concert at United Palace Theater in Washington Heights.  The venue is unique because it is one of those classical theater back in the golden days.  The decorations are like nothing You have seen before,  Seriously if the place is maintained a little bit better, the interior is pretty better looking than Radio City.  Of course the major disadvantage is the location – 175th St uptown.  I think most of the concert goers has never ventured to this North of the city ever in their lives! A lot of confused faces on our way to the theater, it’s actually quite funny.

Now I have been to Mika’s concert last time a few years back, so I know his style is definitely a lot more energetic and dramatic than let’s said, Regina with her piano in the concert.  And this time it still holds true, so many props and costume changes. The surprise is the beginning part of the show, where Sir Ian McKellen appeared as a News reporter on the TV set on stage!  He’s reporting news about a rocket launch and sudden something went wrong and explosion.  Then the curtain come up and reveal a set with planets and Mika in space suit doing the spacewalk and then striped down to his boxer and dance away, it was one of the most entertaining opening of any concert ever!!

Speaking of opening, the opening act before the main event was Gary Go.  Now most opening act of any concert is usually new artists that you have never heard of.  But this time around I actually have Gary Go’s album and absolutely love his music ever since I found his music on iTunes a couple months ago.  So this is like a definite bonus for me, like two concerts in one!  And boy, Gary Go did not disappoint!  First thing I notice is how cute he is and also his fashion.  Of course he sang great live as well.  With instruments everywhere on stage – seriously so much gadgets that he was playing with while performing! You know how I like people who knows their way around gadgets! And that wasn’t the most impressive he did, in one of the song he did, he brought out his iPhone, connect it to the wire and start playing it as an instrument!!  This is like the first time I saw someone using iPhone as an instrument on a live gig!!!! Of course, after that, I just love Gary Go ten times more than before!!!

Back to the main concert! I think the arrangement of Mika’s concert is a lot more exciting because the songs from his new album was mixed seamlessly into his old favorites.  Unlike Regina’s concert where you can see a clear division, Mika’s song from the two albums just melted together!  As I mentioned before, there were props, like lots of them! from the big girls who come out and dance during Big Girl You Are Beautiful, to the giant tea pot to the puppets, everything is fun like a child’s dream! The costumes are all glowing in the dark and colorful, it was an amazing set!

The seat I got was actually one of the best ever – the first row of loge section in the middle of the theater.  Loge is the first level up from the orchestra seat, in the old days it was considered the best seats in the house.  Even though you are on the second level, but because of how the theater was designed, you are actually very close to the stage and not high up like balcony seats.  It was amazing!  No longer I have to worry about anyone in front of me that might block my view, and I have more than enough leg room, not to mention the front edge of the loge act as a table for me!  Now Mika really know how to work the crowd and because his songs are very much dance-able, you can imagine what the atmosphere was like in the theater!  The only thing I was worried about was when everyone in the theater was jumping to the music, the floor, the seat, the entire “second floor” was vibrating! so bad that I thought there might be a chance that it might collapse!! lol!  In front, I can’t even shoot pictures during those highly energetic moments because it was so shaky!

It was such a fun show that I really enjoyed! Here is the setlist:
1. Relax (Take It Easy)
2. Big Girl (You Are Beautiful)
3. Stuck in the Middle
4. Dr. John
5. Blue Eyes
6. Touches You
7. Pick Up Off the Floor
8. One Foot Boy
9. Blame It On The Girls
10. Happy Ending
11. Billy Brown
12. I See You
13. Rain
14. Love Today
15. We Are Golden
Encore:
16. Toy Boy
17. Grace Kelly
18. Lollipop

Related posts:

1. Mika Concert
2. Concert
3. Regina Spektor Concert
4. Mraz at Radio City Music Hall
5. Eason Chan’s concert

Tagged: concert · Gary Go · Mika · Music