MGK: Lost Americana Tour - AllState Arena

They say that we reserve the best for last…

Desserts, drinks, dancing…Colson Baker.

I could not have completed this year without being a part of the Lost Americana tour that graced the Chicago stages late last week.

MGK in his Phillip Morris-esque glory bringing me back to the good ol’ days of the mid 90s when cigarettes were all the rage and Marlboro was at the full front of every parental grocery haul in my house…and here I was, the daughter of two prolific cigarette smokers, front and center at the Lost Americana tour.

Good ol’ Colson Baker, known by his stage name as MACHINE GUN KELLY, came from the dusty streets of Cleveland, Ohio transcended his way to stardom and Hollywood through his multifaceted musical talent. He brought all of these talents together and showcased them that night at the All State Arena in Rosemont delivering a wildly varied set blending both emo, pop punk and rap into one. OG fans were able to go down memory lane and sing these lyrics word for word, amplified by larger than life stage elements, such as the iconic Statue of Liberty set piece as MGK ascended from its mouth, synchronizing with a guitar drop, opening up the show in a very rocker-esque way to the tune of “outlaw overture” from the Lost Americana album

MGK kept the energy high as he interacted with fans throughout the show by expanding on how all of these elements aren’t actually making them any money on tour, but the energy of the crowd is worth every sacrifice.

Then he slowly transitioned into “starman” which illuminated the stage with flashes, changes between his movements on stage…very much to the tune of feeling starstruck and I thought that that element was so on point with the final bridge of the song…

“I’m in a wrong place, wrong planet…”

The dancers on tour emerged for the third number of the night: “don’t wait run fast” which sped the tempo of the night up.

After a brief intermission, he climbed one of his infamous set pieces, the hand that had a lit cigarette in it and performed “maybe”.

Dazzled by the pyrotechnics, fire and guitar effects, the stage screen enveloped the show perfectly by exposing the live performance in real time. He didn’t stick to just one “era” as the setlist encompassed “Wild Boy” featuring the vocals of Waka Flocka Flame disrupted by a brief static video of young Colson, dipped in ink, hopping and bopping to the lyrics of this very song in his old music video projected on screen.

Then we bounced to “el Diablo” from the Hotel Diablo record and “Ay!”

Subsequently we dove back into the crimson leather jacket for a rendition of “goddamn” which arose something emotional in me. The premise of this particular song hit hard because it’s about frustration, pressure and ultimately feeling pushed to a breaking point. In this rendition, Colson is referring to his relationship with fame, high expectations and fighting his inner demons. Although it is something that can easily be applicable to our own lives…facing conflicts at work, feeling overwhelmed by not being able to perform to the high standards of our employers, giving into temptations of our self destructive tendencies, and then coming home to oneself finally at peace with accepting the fact that these feelings are all a part of the collective human experience.

“I Think I’m Okay” from Hotel Diablo is a multifaceted track for many reasons, caked and layered by rhythmic drums from Travis Barker and a powerful verse by YoungBlud, a classic emo track… even if you don’t remember listening to Hotel Diablo front to back, somehow these lyrics take you back to the days of black scruffy nail polish and over exaggerated eye liner.

And then…we commemorated 5 beautiful years of “Tickets to My Downfall” by diving straight into classics such as “title track” “kiss kiss” “drunk face” and “bloody valentine” during which MGK selects several people from the crowd to perform the song alongside him…

The best was reserved for last when Halsey graced the stage to perform their duet for “forget me too” and “Bad Things” filling in Camilla Cabello’s cover.

In between songs, MGK commanded Halsey, not only for her undeniable talent and exceptional voice, but also for her strength and resilience as she has been overcoming chemotherapy treatments throughout the past few years, pushing through her own tours, "For My Last Trick" and "Back to Badlands".

Having had the absolute pleasure of seeing Halsey a month ago, I was excited to see this dynamic duo as easy and comfortable as ever on stage. We never get the cool “sallies” so this was very special for us all.

Softer and emotional ballads that were more acoustic leaning tugged at my heart strings the most and I was enamored by MGK’s collaboration with one of my other favorite artists, NF “Who I Was” and then Julia Wolf’s performance of “Iris” on an ascended platform…but the one I was looking forward to the most brought on the waterworks once I’ve heard the riffs of “banyan tree”

Since his infamous falling out with the love of his life, the lyrics have been changed to past tense and it’s a reminder of a beautiful thing that once was.

Overall, the Chicago pit stop came across as a bold career retrospective, but MGK wasn’t just playing to nostalgia or trying to appease the pallets of one specific genre…instead, he embraced all facets of his music–rap, pop punk, emo, and of course my personal favorite…alternative rock…and even though this was an arena show, it felt intimate, theatrical and personal.

Impressed by his versatility and engulfed by the post-concert blues, I am forever grateful to have been a part of Lost Americana…ironically, I feel found.

Check out the full set list from the Lost Americana tour below: