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Wish y'all could have been there too! It was so lovely to see both of you in NYC, I can't wait for next time! Which won't be quite so long if Mika keeps his word

LA!! This was the last stop on the tour for me, and I treasured it! Check out my Mika-inspired outfit: I thought seeing Mika in a seated venue would be weird, and... it was weird. I did like that without having to queue, we had a fun day in LA without having to worry about what time to arrive to the venue. But I missed seeing everyone and hanging out before the show! We caught up a bit when I got to the venue -- it was great to see @Sivan after so long, and see some of the other fans we've been hanging out with this whole trip! Getting the seats we wanted was also a process. Like others, I had multiple sets of tickets to try to get a better seat. Luckily Kira had a friend who wanted to come, so we gave our second pair to him and his +1. Then there was more reshuffling before the show as @NaoMika had an extra pair of tickets that were even closer that were going unused that she offered to Kira and I. Thank you for being so kind! Finally, everyone had seats, but Mika's music is not sitting music!! Some folks were coming up to get closer to the stage, then the ushers would ask them to return to their seats, then they would come back... This was pretty distracting to me as I was sitting in the aisle. But I hope everyone was able to enjoy the show, from wherever they were at! Anyway, we snagged a front row spot for Kiesza, since the ladies sitting there hadn't arrived yet. She had a new outfit tonight, check out this awesome jumpsuit!! She was pointing at the people singing along and she and Chris both seemed happy to recognize some familiar faces, as well as make some new fans! I'm gonna miss her too! When the actual show started, I could tell Mika was still feeling his cold. He missed a couple of notes (just a couple through the whole show, amazingly!), which made me appreciate how technically flawless his performances usually are. And seriously, performing a beautiful, energetic gig like his while sick?? Wow!! It really shows how talented he is. He mentioned the cold before Blue, telling us that this song is really difficult to sing, and he has a cold, so we were going to be kind while he sung it. Which we were! And it was gorgeous. From the beginning, but especially after that, I gave up on hearing Happy Ending a capella. Even though he was still sounding great, I didn't think he would want to fill the venue with his voice tonight. I couldn't believe it when he quieted the band and the audience!! It was absolutely stunning. So authentic and beautiful, even when he's sick. I think that made a big impression on the crowd. Here's a video of it someone posted on twitter: https://twitter.com/traciglee/status/1175642184000790531?s=20 Another memorable moment was when he came down for Big Girl, he walked up and down the aisles while singing. He even got up on a chair for part of it... right in front of Kira and me!! It would have been really awkward to take a pic lol but I won't forget that!! I'm not sure if he sang right in front of us on purpose but I'm gonna say it was One of my favorite touches from this tour is when asking the audience to sing Big Girl, he encourages it with the line "she can't hear you!!" I found that really charming. Tonight he wore a couple of accessories from people in the crowd, Naomi's hat and this headband with his name on it. Ha! And I got a video of the jump in Relax this time!! VID_20190921_212100.mp4 After the show, we wanted to go home because we had to get to the airport at 5 AM this morning, but the friend we were staying with wasn't home yet, so we decided to just chill with everyone waiting for Mika behind the venue while we waited for him to be ready. It took a while, so we ended up getting to see Mika, even though it also took him a while. The security at the venue told us that he wasn't coming out, like, 10 minutes before he came out, so I'm not sure what that was about. Anyway, he was in a bad way. He could barely talk so he wasn't saying much, just quietly whispering. I still appreciated the chance to thank him for the show, and even though he didn't say anything out loud, he smiled when he saw my outfit. It was so nice of him to spend a little time with everyone who waited, even though he was tired. It's hard to believe that my time living in Mika land has come to an end for now. I enjoyed every show on this tour so much. It was so fun spending time with all the other great fans brought together by Mika! And he made every stop magical.

He climbed over it in the center! There was a small platform on the other side of it that he used to get over into the crowd. Here's a (blurry, sorry!) video of him jumping back over to return to the stage. VID_28040423_090807_631.mp4

Is seeing Mika in the city where you live always transformative? Or is that just the city where I live? I moved to San Francisco four years ago, so I obviously haven't seen him since then. But I've also never seen him across the street from a favorite dinner spot, biking distance from my place, a bus ride home after... Somehow that made it even more special. My first Mika gig was also in the bay area, in Oakland in 2009. @sarac, @BangBangLou, Kira (@superstar) and I had a mini reunion in this queue which was amazing! I'll see y'all next time, and hopefully it won't be another 10 years before we're all together again!! Kira and I got a good spot on the left side of the stage. Entering the venue went much more smoothly than in Brooklyn, thank goodness! They even served drinks to people in the front before the show! From the fan experience this venue was nice, not crap like Mika said, haha. The lights also weren't so strong from behind so it was much easier to see him during the show. Kiesza was good, she's gotten more and more comfortable each night I've seen her (NYC x2 + here). She recognized the French fans for being at every show, and was tickled by Kira and I singing along to Giant in my Heart. Lots of eye contact from Chris as always. It's been fun to be a part of her return to the stage! When Mika came on (a couple minutes late...) it was amazinggggggg!!!!!!! He wasn't interacting with the audience much at the beginning, but you could see on his face that he was having a great time. One moment that I really enjoyed was when Max came up to join Mika for Relax, and then they both jumped at the same time, with Max copying Mika's signature jump. Very cute, I hope someone recorded that! I think this was the best version of Dear Jealousy I've heard so far as well. They really nailed the harmonies! Before Big Girl he started talking and told us about his journey to the venue. Apparently he walked 1 hour and 20 minutes to get here, because his phone had no more data so he couldn't call a lyft. While he was explaining this the keyboardist was playing the notes that would lead into Big Girl, and Mika told him to stop because the story wasn't interesting enough to warrant the background track, LOL. Anyway, first he asked someone how to get to The Fillmore, and they told him "that's an area" (which it is!) and then left. Then he was frustrated by a lady who looked like she was going to give him directions but just went back to her friend and had another conversation. Anyway, he finally made it, on foot, before the band (which explains why we didn't see him come in), and described having a sublime moment of dancing in the middle of the floor. All this to set up his entrance into the crowd for Big Girl!! He didn't go in the crowd in NYC, so I was so happy to experience this! The audience was SO into it!! That was when I knew the show was going to be really special. At the piano before Tiny Love he complained about the lady who didn't give him directions again, I think he was really shook by that :P. But the song was awesome of course. Tonight he didn't introduce Tomorrow as a new song at all, he just went right into it, and Kira and I absolutely lost it while everyone else was a bit confused. But over the course of the song, you could feel the crowd go from "what is this song?" to "I love this song!!" which was really amazing. But Kira and I were singing along and jumping the entire time, SO happy to hear it again!! Mika smiled when he caught a glimpse of us singing to the chorus and jumping around. My heart... He sang the end of Happy Ending without the mic, which it took a bit for the crowd to catch on to, but then we were absolutely transfixed. It was so genuine and so beautiful. Absolutely amazing. At the piano for Lollipop, he admitted "I played this gig partially for the poster," because at The Fillmore they make a poster for an artist that sells out and give it out at the exit. He said he imagined putting the posters up in his house and showing his grandchildren someday. But he complained that the first poster he got for his first gig here over a decade ago was a giant lollipop, and this one is a huge banana split with ice cream on it. He was miffed, but also a little tickled, that his career would be summed up with penis symbols. He wore the button-down shirt the entire gig tonight, and only changed into the t-shirt + scarf for the encore. He came back with a glass of water, and had a very genuine moment of disgust after he stuck his finger in and it was dirty. "Cheers," he raised the glass, "even though it's water," and promised that it would be less than four years next time. YES!!! Afterwards, they set up a barricade outside behind which we could wait for Mika. People were generally pretty nice, a woman even gave Nina her poster because they had run out by the time Nina was exiting. I didn't notice what time it was when he came out, but he stayed for a long time, signing posters and chatting with the very long line of people who had gathered. Kira asked him if it was the best show ever (she thinks so) and he said "I loved it." And he said "You two were phenomenal during Tomorrow" which,........ AHHHHH. I'm no more articulate about moments like that than I was when I was 16! Another thing he told another fan was that he's getting a cold, which I could kind of hear. His voice cracked a little bit during Blue and Happy Ending. I hope he can get some good rest before LA. Anyway, to sum it all up, last night was incredible. One of the best shows I've seen, but only made better by the fact that I made the trip to New York to see him there as well. Thank you, Mika. Can't wait to have you back. I took all my pictures of Mika during the show on Kira's phone since it has a better camera, but here's one of the poster: Thank you Lucy for taking these!! Even though they're blurry I think they really captured the moment ❤️

Friday was round 2! Compared to Thursday, the queue grew much earlier, since this was the first date announced and also Friday. Again, it was fun to chat with everyone in line and meet people who were at their first concert and those who had seen Mika many times! Since the spotlights were so severe behind centerstage last night we chose a spot on the left side, near the piano. It was easier to see him from this angle although the lights were still very strong. To me, Friday night was even better than Thursday (although I know some disagree). Mika always brings so much energy when he performs, but tonight was another level. I think it was because of the recordings and I am so glad everyone will get to experience the magic of this show through that!! The crowd was also bigger because it was sold out, and the energy was incredible. Having heard the new songs once already last night, I was dancing and singing along tonight and I think I liked them even more! The crowd waiting outside after the show was much bigger tonight. Kira and I were about to go home because I had an early flight, but before we could leave, Mika came out around 11:25. Even after the incident last night, he was still so kind and patient, signing autographs and taking pictures with so many people. What a lovely soul. I'm getting a few days off now, can't wait to hear about Montreal from those who are going! And I will hopefully see some of you in San Francisco and LA :).

I'm a few days late but I wanted to post my report here and share some pics! In the time since I last saw Mika, my life has changed a lot, but I'm so grateful I could make the trip to NYC for these gigs!! Even though I don't live on the east coast anymore, it was amazing to see some of the friends I've made from the past tours and meet new friends! Hope I'll be seeing some of y'all in Cali either this tour or in the future. One of my favorite moments was running into @sarac. Last time we saw each other was at my very first Mika concert in 2009. I was 16 years old then!! It was so fun to recognize her and catch up!! The enduring love of Mika is a really powerful thing! For Thursday, I don't think the show was sold out, and the queue was very reasonable even right before doors opened. There were a lot of people attending their first Mika concert who were very excited! I ended up in the third row, with an awesome view of Mika. The main difference between being there and the front row was the conversations with the surrounding fans. They had a lot of questions about Mika and were surprised that my shirt was from his 2009 tour. I guess it really has been a while! The opener, Kiesza, was fun. She taught us a few parts of her songs that we could sing along with which made it more interactive. She also had a great story about her return to music which was pretty touching. The doors were at 7 and she played a short set from 8-8:30. Mika came on at 9, and he was incredible. He opened with Ice Cream, which is a very difficult song to perform live, but he killed it!! I think there's a reason it's the first song, though, haha. But it was a great way to start the show with a bop!! The new songs are lovely. I absolutely cannot wait to hear the recorded versions. They are clever and beautiful and I'm in love already! For this show, his dancing had evolved since the last time I saw him. He had a few more moves than the old days, but I got the sense that they weren't practiced, rather that he's just more comfortable and willing to move around like that. 36 year old Mika is just as fun as 32 year old Mika (and 30 year old, and 26 year old...) and an even better dancer! After the show he came out around 12:15 to say hi to the fans waiting outside. He even took a lot of pictures. I think he knows how much we missed him! He was as gracious and kind as always. Thursday was incredible. And it was just beginning... "Mika, then and now..." pic that my phone made for me: Other pics from the show:

This report might be a bit less coherent since it's getting late, but I want to write everything down before I forget! I got to Webster Hall around 11 with Deb and Kira. Kira had to go to class, but Deb and I stayed. When we got there, Nina and Dee were there, and people filled in throughout the day! We got to watch the venue folks bringing in a bunch of boxes, and those of us who were there early got to sit in the shade on the steps, which was really nice! I like this neighborhood, so it was fun to spend the day there! And once again, it was a beautiful day! They started getting us in line to go in around an hour before doors. The security people were handling the line very well. They were being very professional. I was impressed. Unfortunately, things were not as good going in, but thanks to some very nice people, Kira and I still ended up in the front row, next to Dee and Deb. Again, the DJ set felt sooo long. It was fun to dance to, it just wasn't Mika! During this time we got to check out the stage decorations though: They fit on stage this time, and they were really fun! I loved having all that color on stage, it framed the whole thing very nicely. From the moment he came on stage, I could tell that this was going to be even better than Verboten. This was partially because of the setup: with the space between the stage and where we were standing, it felt more like a performance and less like a big dance party compared to last night. Also, the speaker was in front of us, so the sound was more balanced. And more importantly, the crowd was soooo into it! Every time I looked around, people were singing, dancing, and jumping as far as the eye could see. As Deb mentioned, Mika said that he had been in a horrible mood before the show, but I think it would have been impossible to keep that up with the energy of the crowd in front of you! Whatever it was that improved his mood worked: he was so smiley, saying ridiculous things, and clearly having as wonderful of a time as we were the whole night. Yeah. Everything he sang was spot on and sounded wonderful. The dancing was... Mika dancing. Cute! He wasn't engaging directly with people as much throughout the gig, but I think that's because he couldn't reach us to mess with us: he did touch people's hands at the end. But, unlike Verboten, he had everyone close their eyes during Underwater: I think it was because the audience was more under his spell than last night. And, of course, he played Good Wife!!! I LOVED it, I can't wait to hear the recorded version (and thank you so much to those who have posted videos!). He also did an encore, which he didn't at Verboten. I love hearing the new twists they've put on the songs this tour: Popular, a new Love Today intro, and Lollipop. Also, he was singing to Audrey during Lollipop, which was very cute! Oh yes, the decorations didn't just look nice: Mika was playing with them throughout the show! He was using the traffic light to show his band when to stop playing at the end of one song, he broke the trumpet on the front of the stage (maybe that was an accident!) and he played "He loves me, he loves me not..." with one of the flowers! (At first, he loved him not, but after playing Love Today, he loved him!) I left the place feeling amazing. Verboten was awesome, but Webster Hall was so so sooo amazing. I'm so glad to see by his tweet that Mika agreed. Outside he was being SO accommodating of the waiting fans: He let everyone who approached him have their item signed or get a picture with him even, and was striking up conversations with Deb and Nina! Even though he was very tired, he was being very kind to us. I'm so sad that my piece of the action on this tour is over, but I can't wait to hear how the LA show goes! Thanks everyone who I hung out with this time for making it so fun! And of course, thanks Mika for two wonderful shows

I'm going to try to get gig reports done for both shows before I crash, but I'm starting with this one! First, the venue. It was kind of weirdly located in Brooklyn, and was especially inconvenient since the closest subway to it wasn't running. It also didn't have the name anywhere, we only knew we were in the right place when we recognized Jess and Natasha! Queueing was pretty pleasant since there were places to sit and it was in the shade. New York is really nice this time of year, and it didn't even rain! I want to second the props to the venue people: they were so accommodating of us, checking on us all the time, and generally making sure we were having a good experience, and that getting in was fair, unlike so many other places! It was also super nice that they let us use the bathroom in the party they were having next door When the time came to go in, their ticket scanners weren't working on our tickets, but they came by and checked them manually before letting anyone in, so we were all ready when doors opened, and we were all let in in order! I can't stress enough how great of an experience this was (especially after Webster Hall last night!). When we were in, they had a couple of openers: First a DJ set by a DJ for the venue, then Mika's opener, Astronautica. She was fine, but we were all just waiting for Mika... Finally he came on!! I was surprised to see the whole band wearing suits, but I didn't get the impression that they were uncomfortable: Mika was still jumping around just as much as ever! The stage setup, as others have mentioned, was different from most gigs: the stage was right there was really small (they tried to put the buildings out, but they didn't fit!), and short enough to sit on! I always feel awkward taking pictures when Mika is that close, and you have to be really careful not to touch him when you're jumping and he's right in front of you!! It's a pretty funny situation to be in. He was definitely sweating on us. The gig went by so fast. Mika was so smiley, interacting with the audience a log, and just clearly happy to be back on stage. As Christine mentioned, he was talking about how he was happy to be back "doing his job" and speaking English! No complaints from me! Overall, because of the stage setup, the whole thing felt less like a performance and more like a massive dance party with Mika right in the middle of it. Our spot wasn't great for hearing the songs because the speakers were behind us and we were right in front of the drums, so the drums were the loudest thing I could here. But Montreal was for appreciating the music: this was for jumping around, dancing, singing along, and having fun, and it was great for that! I think everyone including Mika was reminded of how great this is We waited around after the show, and he was really nice. Signing a bunch of stuff and talking to people. It was clear that he was happy to be there, and that was awesome. Really fun night!

Looking forward to pierogies too!!

Here's what I wrote up last night... I'm back at school now and I'm still in shock adjusting back to my life as a student, instead of getting to run around in Montreal all day, instead see amazing performances like this at night... --- A symphony orchestra playing Mika songs on it's own would be incredible. Like, that would be spectacular. And of course, every Mika show I've ever been to has been incredible. Putting the two of them together was actually breathtaking. Literally: I caught myself taking deep breaths between songs to make up for breathlessness during the songs. This setting amplified the emotions in the songs, making these songs we already love so much more powerful by surrounding us with their message, as told by hundreds of instruments. This was amazing throughout, and nothing short of overpowering at times. Happy Ending overwhelmed me, where I couldn't help but start crying when a room full of talented musicians poured all the emotion of that song into their instruments, producing a wave of tragic sound lifting us up into it and enveloping us. I kept crying during Origin of Love, where the beautiful and overpowering sound of that lovely song kept washing over me. We play these songs over and over through earbuds and through cheap speakers. They are brilliant every time. Hearing them given their due, being ravished by a symphony orchestra, was something else. It just seemed right that Mika be given the chance to sing them in front of a full orchestra playing these songs with all their hearts. There were two standing ovations *during the show* (completely deserved, I might add) - after Happy Ending and Elle Me Dit. They were both so overpowering in almost opposite ways: one tragic, one joyful, that, overcome, the audience couldn't help but jump to their feet. The first act was like wow, but the second act was like WOW. The arrangements suited the songs so well, and the songs suited the occasion, and Mika's voice suited everything. It was unbelievable. I am so glad to have gotten the chance to hear the new songs for the first time. There have been occasions like this in the past, but I have never been present for them, and I gasped when I heard that he would be singing a new song for the first time ever. These are songs that we'll all grow to love, that we'll know by heart and belt out at the next show, and hearing them for the first time of anyone was really special. Of course, they were great, and I can't wait to hear the studio versions! Really, Kira and I weren't even supposed to be here, but somehow we were lucky enough to get to come, and it was a million times worth it. At the end of the show, Mika was given a bouquet of flowers. He pulled one out: a pink daisy, the kind I always go for when I'm getting a bouquet. It's my favorite color and it smells great. He tossed it into the crowd: it flew towards me, and I grabbed it. It was a serendipitous end to a serendipitous night: what are the odds that I would catch that flower, and that it would be my favorite kind? What are the odds that we would win tickets to a Mika show, and that it would be such an incredible one? I don't know about either, but it was such an incredibly lovely night, that I'm ignoring my questions and just feeling lucky. --- It was so great to see friends old and new at the show, and I hope everyone who's staying for the next one or two shows has an amazing time!! :wub2:

What an amazing showwwwwww. Some of my friends from school came, and when we got back, one of them explained to my roommate "I get Indy now. Like, I got her before, but now, I really get it." I think we may have some more concert addicts now. Anyway, this was a fantastic experience. Queuing was miles better than yesterday since it wasn't raining, and we managed to get a great spot even though it looked like it was going to be a mess when they were letting us in. The audience wasn't as into the DJ set as they were last night, but Kira and I were still jammin' now that we knew exactly what it was . It wasn't that bad! Yeah, I was really surprised that they actually started the show early. But it was a nice surprise! And then, Mika... Like Kira said, he was really quiet the first few songs, just going from one to the next without saying anything. I thought he was in a hurry to get the show over with or something! How wrong I was. He got really talkative and silly. As he said, "what a funny show this is turning into!" The audience absolutely ate up him taking requests: it was super fun that he actually played My Interpretation, Blame it on the Girls, and WAG!!! WAG was a lot of fun as always, really glad he played it. The audience wasn't as quietable as last night, so he only sang the end of HE without the microphone, but this one was longer than last night, and he was really having fun with it. It sounded absolutely beautiful. I can't describe the perfection of Mika's voice without the mic, so glad I got to experience it again . At least we were, apparently, the most on-key of any place! He described the end of the show as being like in his living room because of all his babbling, and it really did feel very genuine. Much appreciated sir. Yeah. Once again, words fail me: I can't possibly sum up the magic that has been these past two days. It's been perfect and I am so lucky I got to take a little break from reality and live in Mika land for a while. It's such a special place. And now, some pics: Love this one of M and Curtis:

I think Kira summed it up pretty well -- last night was magical!!! Queuing in the rain and cold was way less comfortable than any other gig I've been to, but this show was unlike any other I've been to! We couldn't see much of him at all when he was at the piano, but that made listening to the music and dancing with Kira, Miri and Marion even more fun! And when he was at the microphone, he was looking down right at us! It was almost awkward to be photographing him because he was so close!! That, though normal for this tour I guess, was unlike any other gig I've been to and was really lovely. So the venue was sweet, but oh my goddddddddd, the music. It was dazzling. The audio didn't sound great during the DJ set, but I didn't even notice anything during the actual gig. Especially since he sang without the mic?? That was indescribably amazing. Like everyone has said, it felt so intimate, and his voice was sooooooooo beautiful. Wow. It was otherworldly . So glad I caught this show, and I can't wait for round 2 tonight! Oh yeah, and shoutout to the amazing MFCers we hung out with! You ladies are awesome, can't wait until our next gig together! You made the swellest day even brighter.