Despite feeling a little under the weather, the ever-charismatic Mika put on an intimate acoustic show last night that would put even the healthiest pop stars to shame. The singer played to New York City's Le Poisson Rouge, a small-ish downtown club, with a full orchestra whose members donned some very festive glitter hats on a stage that was even sparklier. The whole thing shimmered more than Edward Cullen sunbathing, really. But it wasn't just the stage setup that shined, it was Mika's roughly hour-and-a-half show. Click through to the jump for a full concert review.
Breaking with concert convention, Mika opened the show with arguably his most well-known single, "Grace Kelly." While the venue's layout made it nearly impossible for anyone in the back to see Mika while he played the piano for this tune, the crowd came with every intention of dancing and singing along and that they did. Mika announced it was their "last intimate party" before the release of his upcoming EP Songs for Sorrow.
Having maintained a good rapport with the crowd all evening — Mika joked about on-the-fly set list changes and on-stage mishaps — he invited us in for a sing-a-long for another new song with the echoing chorus "Blame it on the boy/blame it on the girl." But it was the less showy, but undeniably powerful "Happy Ending" that solidified the show for me. While Mika hit notes that would make Freddie Mercury proud, the truly heartbreaking tune (which has a bigger impact live than it does on Life in Cartoon Motion) managed to bring the house down without lowering the general good spirits in the room. No small feat.
What do you think, Music Mixers? Are you a Mika fan as well, or is the hubbub beyond you? Did you get a chance to check out the Le Poisson Rouge show, too? We want to hear your opinions!
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