Hey y'all!!! Long time no see. I think it's been years since I logged in.
After a 3.5 year dry spell, Mika graced the Pacific Northwest with a very special show. I was up near the stage, about 3 "layers" from the front, and off to the side, where I could clearly see his lovely face at the piano. I am still in Portland, so I will post pics once I get back to the Seattle area. I was fortunate enough to stand near other gals who had been Big Girl dancers (I danced in the Vancouver show in 2009), and we reminisced about that wonderful experience.
I'll post a more detailed review when I get home, so that I can refer to the set list and add photos, and all that good stuff that you guys deserve. I will say that this was a lovely show. It got back to the heart of why I was drawn to Mika in the first place, his musicianship and great song writing ability. Not that elaborate sets, dancers, and a huge band aren't fun, but the stripped down, mostly acoustic experience really showcased his music in a raw and timeless sort of way. As a fairly old school musician myself, I greatly appreciated it.
He did play the new songs, though I don't recall Bonnie and Clyde. I really enjoyed Hia Leah, with its laid back doo wop feel, and Mika looking adorable sitting up on the piano. I do have something to say about Century Man. I know that people are dying to hear it, and while it's a nice song, it's not anything that you haven't heard from Mika before. It reminds me of Billy Brown and Doctor John, with the driving beat and powerful vocals at the chorus. Just replace the lyrics with "Century Maaaaan!!" and you pretty much know it already. LOL!
A word about his outfit, just wait for more pictures. He looked SHARP. Very classy, and the vest and slacks really flattered his figure, in my opinion. I greatly prefer it to those painted on skinny jeans, LOL! Mika was quite the gentleman.
The guy in the shorts and tank top was quite the riot! Mika asked if anyone knew the English lyrics to Elle Me Dit, because he could only remember it in French. That young man said that he knew it, so Mika invited him on stage. Um, I heard no singing from him, but he sure tore up the stage with some very unique dance moves. LOL! It was very funny, and Mika was a good sport about it. I even got a shot of them hugging at the end, which I will share later. M even referred to the incident in Hia Leah, by singing "You may pretend to sing, but you really want to dance" during the outtro. I'm sure that guy's whole life was made during that experience.
Anyway, that is all for now. I promise to post pics soon. There was no proper meet and greet. Mika exited the building, and there was a very disorderly mob waiting for him. (I was miffed that we weren't lined up. That might have made a difference.) He was gracious enough to sign a few autographs before getting into a vehicle with Mrs. P, and driving away. I did not get a photo with him, but I did get a pretty hilarious photo of Mika and the back of my head, as per usual. Haha! All in all, a great experience, and well worth the trip. For those of you dying to hear the new songs, take heart, something might turn up eventually...