Hero Posted April 15, 2022 Share Posted April 15, 2022 My report: It. Was. AWESOME!!! The end. Nothing more, I'm still processing it, but it was fantastic. He was fantastic. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dcdeb Posted April 15, 2022 Share Posted April 15, 2022 Wow! No one has filed an actual report yet? OK, I guess I'll dive in. The day started out, as you all know, with the horrific shooting at a subway stop in Brooklyn. It wasn't real close to the Kings Theatre, but it was too close for comfort! Luckily, none of our fans were caught up in it, although we felt the effects of the aftermath, with increased traffic due to people avoiding the subway. I got the news about the shooting while I was still on the train -- it made me a little anxious, but the train arrived in Manhattan on schedule and I was able to get an Uber over to my hotel in Brooklyn without any trouble. After I had checked in, @Anilado met me at my hotel, and we strolled around a bit to find a place to eat. After a nice lunch, I called an Uber to take us to the venue. They said it wouldn't arrive for 25 minutes! So I cancelled it and we started walking. After a bit, we called another Uber, still a 25 minute wait. Traffic was extremely heavy at this point, so we decided to take the bus -- which eventually dropped us off right across the street from the venue. By the time we arrived, it was around 5pm and there were only about two dozen fans waiting. Shortly after I got there, someone from Mika's management team found me and took me inside to let me know that fans with the artist presale tickets were going to be let in early, ahead of everyone else. I met a few of the venue's team so they would know what we were doing. I couldn't believe it - an actual early entrance for MFCers! About a half-hour before doors opened, they let us inside the venue lobby, which was set up for the Indeed job fair. Why didn't I take any photos of that? I hope someone did. They had life-sized cardboard cutouts of Mika with shots taken from the Indeed virtual concert he did for Pride last year -- great photo ops! And there was the new merch! I think that this merch will be available online in the Mika Store AFTER the tour concludes. Anyhow, we lined up at a special door and waited to be let into the theater. Finally the time came and there we were -- front row! The venue was fairly empty at this point and I must admit I was rather worried that it would stay that way -- between the cancellation and that morning's shooting, I feared that many wouldn't turn up. I needn't have worried, though -- after the DJ set, which was OK, but nothing spectacular, the venue filled up nicely. After a half-hour of jazzy music -- a rather bizarre choice, I think -- the band filed onto the dark stage and then suddenly -- there he was! Mika climbed atop the piano, and the show started with Lollipop, similar to the way the show started at Salle Pleyel last fall. By now, you've all seen photos and videos and know what the performances were like -- so I'll just share some pics that I didn't put on Instagram yet, along with some of my thoughts and observations. This first set of photos shows you the suit he opened the show in. At first, it seemed like an ordinary black, double-breasted suit. But as Mika sang the second song, Origin of Love, he stripped off large patches to reveal areas made to look like the body stripped of its skin. So you see muscle, bone, veins, internal organs, blood. To me, this symbolizes stripping everything away, sort of laying yourself bare. Leaving yourself exposed to your very core. It reminded me of the song snippet that we've heard, "changing the color of my skin..." As if by stripping off the skin, perhaps you will regenerate and become new again. Maybe I'm reaching, but I think this is going to be expanded on as the tour/year progresses. What struck me about the performance of these first few songs was how GOOD he sounded, not to mention how good he looked -- for someone who was sick just a week ago, it was impressive. He might have seemed a little... not exactly nervous, but maybe a little overly hyped, maybe a bit worried about how everything was going to go... But that soon evaporated and he performed with an energy and confidence that made me feel both proud and super excited for what was to come. I must admit I'm a bit tired of Lollipop and didn't think it was the strongest opener, but obviously the crowd recognized it and was into it. And Tiny Love was just... well, I guess I'm biased because I think it's one of the best songs he's ever written, but I thought it was just fabulous. Mika made several outfit changes throughout the concert -- during his absence from the stage, the band jammed a bit as you can see above. Mika's second outfit of the evening was a simple white tank top with a broken heart that is sort of stitched together, and a pair of purple pants. To me, the heart being stitched together represents the healing process beginning. I'm trying to remember the songs he sang while wearing this outfit, seeing if there's a significance, and I think maybe I see it -- Blame it on the Girls, Promiseland, Underwater, Tomorrow, Happy Ending... songs that are about heartbreak or longing one way or another, leading to healing. So the flower for the Brooklyn concert was the acacia (mimosa). Last week, @holdingyourdrink and others had arranged for a beautiful bouquet of all the flowers for the various Rite of Spring Tour shows to be sent to Mika, but due to the cancellation it didn't get there. This week, I sent a simple arrangement that had only a few of the flowers -- acacia, lilies, and roses. What you see in the photo above is what Mika did with that arrangement. *sigh* He threw many of the flowers back to the audience and then left the rest there on the stage. Oh well, at least he saw them, right?! The third outfit was an absolutely gorgeous floral suit with a double-breasted jacket. The embroidered flowers reminded me so much of the artwork Mika used for his original symphonic concerts back in 2015 -- that artwork has always been some of my favorite! I felt like this suit represented "rebirth" -- beautiful spring-like flowers that show growth and a new beginning. And the songs he performed while wearing it reflected that, I think. Popular, Elle Me Dit, Grace Kelly, Love Today... It was a surprise that he did a little "Grace Kelly Challenge" with a pre-recorded track. I thought it was fun and funny, and the audience seemed to really respond to it as well. I was also surprised at how the audience responded to Elle Me Dit -- it's a French song, after all, and this was New York. But it worked, everyone really loved it. I really love Love Today and I'm sorry I couldn't dance as much as I wanted -- but I was pressed up against the barricade and didn't really have much room to move. Finally, the amazing floral coat with the woven crown. I don't know what to say -- I mean, it was just perfect. The way Mika ran across the stage with the coat flowing behind him, and then spinning spinning spinning -- obviously it reminded me of the oversized Dr. John coat he wore back in 2009-2010, but this one is much more elegant. And then he turned to show the back, with its message: RESIST. Wow. It really struck me. And the songs for this outfit? Tiny Love Reprise, and We Are Golden. Yes, I nearly burst into tears when I heard Mika's mother's voice, and when he looked up as if to say, "Hey Ma! It's OK, I'm here and it's all good." Too emotional. But before I could really start to cry, they burst into We Are Golden, and the message was clear -- the rebirth was complete, the new start begun, all the obstacles successfully overcome. Mika sporting his beautiful golden woven crown is now back on top again. It really was a magnificent ending. OK, I've gone on really long and haven't proofread, and I still haven't said all I wanted to... but I need to go as I'm heading out to my parents for the Easter weekend. I hope to come back and add more soon. And I also want to write about Toronto, which was a totally different experience for me... More later! 15 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
holdingyourdrink Posted April 15, 2022 Share Posted April 15, 2022 4 hours ago, dcdeb said: So the flower for the Brooklyn concert was the acacia (mimosa). Last week, @holdingyourdrink and others had arranged for a beautiful bouquet of all the flowers for the various Rite of Spring Tour shows to be sent to Mika, but due to the cancellation it didn't get there. This week, I sent a simple arrangement that had only a few of the flowers -- acacia, lilies, and roses. What you see in the photo above is what Mika did with that arrangement. *sigh* He threw many of the flowers back to the audience and then left the rest there on the stage. Oh well, at least he saw them, right?! You mean THESE flowers?! (Photo by Ani) 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TinyLove_CJ Posted April 15, 2022 Share Posted April 15, 2022 Your report makes the night sound so magical @dcdeb! Love the photos you've taken too, they're wonderful 😊 I wonder if the word RESIST is a nod to a song or an album title? He's mentioned a couple of times in interviews about "poetic resistance", no doubt his new songs follow that theme! 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anna Ko Kolkowska Posted April 15, 2022 Share Posted April 15, 2022 Thank you @dcdeb for your report. At last I can see an image of the whole show For sure the first concert was stressful for Mika - not only because it was the first one but as well because he was sick and the tour started with a delay. Beautiful venue! The "old" band is back! And Mika with his outfits!!!!! While reading your report I found another meaning of the outfits. Of course I agree with yours as well. But the order of changing gave me this way of seeing it: The first one - with body parts - can represent death - or Winter. Of being torn apart - even from sadness, love ect. The second one - with the broken heart with stitches - can represent the beginning of Spring. Healing, bringing to life. The third one - the floral suit - it's Spring of course. The fourth one - the cape RESIST and the crown - it's the symbol of renaissance, the victory over death, over all things bringing us down. RESIST can have so many meanings related to the current situation as well. We have to resist even if the situation looks hopeless. The whole story Mika mentioned so many times about life throwing stones and s**t on you.... I can't wait to see how the show will evolve during next concerts!!!! 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hero Posted April 15, 2022 Share Posted April 15, 2022 It's not coming off.. 2 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mellody Posted April 15, 2022 Share Posted April 15, 2022 Some amazing videos by @tiibet Tiny Love Blame it on the girls Promiseland with Mashrou Leila Grace Kelly And a clip of We Are Golden from Twitter: 4 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kumazzz Posted April 15, 2022 Author Share Posted April 15, 2022 Shutterstock Mika in concert on the 'For the Rite of Spring' Tour, New York 12 April 2022 : 198 images - show all images some from 198 pics The photographer Gregory Pace sharing some pics to his INSTAGRAM https://www.instagram.com/p/CcRxYgMuqNg/ It’s always a great night when I get to attend and photograph the one and only Mika in concert. After such a horrible and sad day in NYC this amazing singer and world class entertainer filled the @kingsbklyn theatre with love, happiness and joy with his wonderful music and high energy performance. Thank you for an amazing show @mikainstagram you always give it your all and never disappoint. 📸: @gnpace 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kumazzz Posted April 15, 2022 Author Share Posted April 15, 2022 MikaTikTok Mika performing "Happy Ending" with Ukraine flag #ForTheRiteOfSpring #MikaTour #Ukraine re-upload to YouTube 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anna Ko Kolkowska Posted April 16, 2022 Share Posted April 16, 2022 12 hours ago, Hero said: It's not coming off.. Well. I think you will keep it till the end of your life... 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hero Posted April 16, 2022 Share Posted April 16, 2022 5 hours ago, Anna Ko Kolkowska said: Well. I think you will keep it till the end of your life... Yes. I will have parmesan skin, but who cares? 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mellody Posted April 17, 2022 Share Posted April 17, 2022 On 4/15/2022 at 5:20 PM, dcdeb said: This first set of photos shows you the suit he opened the show in. At first, it seemed like an ordinary black, double-breasted suit. But as Mika sang the second song, Origin of Love, he stripped off large patches to reveal areas made to look like the body stripped of its skin. So you see muscle, bone, veins, internal organs, blood. To me, this symbolizes stripping everything away, sort of laying yourself bare. Leaving yourself exposed to your very core. It reminded me of the song snippet that we've heard, "changing the color of my skin..." As if by stripping off the skin, perhaps you will regenerate and become new again. Maybe I'm reaching, but I think this is going to be expanded on as the tour/year progresses. Thanks for your report! I had been wondering about that, why he does it for Origin of Love. The first thing I saw of this suit was the trousers during Relax, when he had put off the jacket - and that looked to me like a wound, like he wants to show he is hurt. Same for the patches on the arms that I only saw later ... for the body with the organs I agree with you, that does look more like stripping everything away and laying yourself bare. But they also added the "blood", and in the OOL video you posted on IG he pretends to stab himself a few times. It doesn't look like the usual gesture he does for OOL, of "I've got to medicate myself", like an injection, but like he was holding a knife, stabbing himself. So what I'm missing in your interpretation is this element of being hurt that I get from this. And maybe it's a combination... also from what he said in Nina's video from Toronto, "there will always be pain and war, but there also will always be love": For being able to love and be loved, you have to open up and lay yourself bare, and risk getting hurt. Like with his Mum, he waved to her during the "madre deus machismo" part - this strong but complicated love while she was still alive, but also the pain that comes with losing someone you love. You have to take this risk when you love, although of course we usually don't think about it, but it's... I suppose that's maybe why he sings Tiny Love with that suit as well, it's opening up, but without losing yourself, you have to risk getting hurt but you have to love yourself enough to be able to survive if you lose someone you love. Also with the mended heart, it makes me think of a tale I once read, of two men who compared their hearts, one guy with a perfect heart and the other one with one that has been broken and mended many many times, and the point is that the guy with the mended heart has dared to give away his heart (love) and got pieces from other people's hearts (love) in return, and he's happy about those experiences and lived a full life, while the one with the perfect heart has never loved or been loved. I can't remember the exact story, but I can imagine that this is at least part of the story Mika is telling with these costumes. Obviously I wasn't at the show, so maybe I'm interpreting it wrong and it's more about renewal than about love, as you say. With the Rite of Spring and the flower outfit and Resist coat, that's certainly part of it. Btw, as a side note, the flower trousers remind me of Elvis, the way they're cut and designed. Anyway, I'm trying to interpret the organs suit with the element of being hurt, during the songs OOL and Tiny Love, and that's how it makes sense to me. edit: and sorry if I mix up NY and Toronto with the performances I describe, I've watched a lot of videos over the last few days and can't remember exactly which was from which gig. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hero Posted April 18, 2022 Share Posted April 18, 2022 Still not coming off. No parmesan skin yet... 2 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hero Posted April 19, 2022 Share Posted April 19, 2022 On 4/18/2022 at 2:04 AM, Hero said: Still not coming off. No parmesan skin yet... I'm considering making it the basis of a tattoo. 1 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prisca Posted May 1, 2022 Share Posted May 1, 2022 On 4/18/2022 at 3:04 AM, Hero said: Still not coming off. No parmesan skin yet... Um... 2 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prisca Posted May 2, 2022 Share Posted May 2, 2022 11 hours ago, Prisca said: Um... Yes, I know, I always have to exaggerate. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hero Posted May 2, 2022 Share Posted May 2, 2022 15 hours ago, Prisca said: Um... Nice collection. Ah, and mine finally came off! 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prisca Posted May 2, 2022 Share Posted May 2, 2022 These are the videos I've from New York. I didn't know that my recording would stop after every WhatsApp message, that's why there are so many short videos. They are in order of the concert though. 20220412_211344.mp4 20220412_211618.mp4 20220412_211909.mp4 20220412_212013.mp4 20220412_212737.mp4 20220412_212804.mp4 20220412_213012.mp4 20220412_213312.mp4 20220412_213619.mp4 20220412_214002.mp4 20220412_214604.mp4 20220412_215458.mp4 20220412_215821.mp4 20220412_220338.mp4 20220412_220408.mp4 20220412_220451.mp4 20220412_220813.mp4 20220412_220828.mp4 20220412_220842.mp4 20220412_220852.mp4 20220412_220903.mp4 20220412_220918.mp4 20220412_220924.mp4 20220412_220930.mp4 20220412_220941.mp4 20220412_220957.mp4 20220412_221002.mp4 20220412_221027.mp4 20220412_221044.mp4 20220412_221054.mp4 20220412_221101.mp4 20220412_221214.mp4 20220412_221258.mp4 20220412_221330.mp4 20220412_221446.mp4 20220412_221546.mp4 20220412_221741.mp4 20220412_221748.mp4 20220412_221801.mp4 20220412_221834.mp4 20220412_221854.mp4 20220412_221910.mp4 20220412_221918.mp4 20220412_221925.mp4 20220412_222428.mp4 20220412_222541.mp4 20220412_223328.mp4 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kumazzz Posted July 30, 2022 Author Share Posted July 30, 2022 Happy Ending with Ukrainian flag https://www.instagram.com/p/CcR52d4lpOA/ alexa_lavina Mika with Ukrainian flag 🇺🇦 on stage!!! Thank you, @mikainstagram , for taking my flag on stage! I will Charing this moment forever. Thank you for everything! I love you unconditionally!!! 💙💛#mika #relaxtakeiteasy #supportukraine #standwithukraine Brooklyn_Kings-Theatre-Happy-Ending_IG.mp4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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