Mk.gee Concert Recap
Before I became an avid concertgoer, I always found it cringe when people would say a concert changed their life.
It wasn’t until I went to see Mk.gee on September 6th. I remember it like it was yesterday. For those who aren’t familiar, Michael Gordon–better known as Mk,gee– is an American singer-songwriter-producer-guitarist… I could go on. He’s a multi hyphenate musician to say the very least, and is best known for his summer hit, “Are You Looking Up?” He’s worked closely alongside artists like Dijon, Omar Apollo, Drake, Role Model, and Kacy Hill.
Mk.gee dropped his debut studio album, Two Star & The Dream Police which encapsulates a wide range of 90’s, soft rock, R&B – all under the basis of psychedelia in 12 tracks.
This album is my ultimate favorite and has pivoted the way I seek out music today.
The concert was on a warm summer evening in Oakland, at the beautiful Fox Theatre. When I joined the queue hours before, I was a bit intimidated, as the line was long, and everyone looked so cool. My friend told me, “Lock in, you look cool too—it’s a Mk.gee concert!”
Once we passed security, we DASHED to the merch line, and I got a cute shirt. In hindsight, I should’ve gotten a hoodie too, but that’s okay.
We had balcony seats, and it was so close to the stage! I felt like I was watching a movie while also being in the movie.
The concert started off with a set with LA artist SEES0000, who mixes unconventional and loud noises into a rhythmic song. This actually inspired me to get into mixing! He played his song “RAL2222,” which is genuinely one of the best songs I’ve ever heard.
After his set, Andrew Aged (guitarist) and Zack Sekoff (percussion) came on stage. Then…Mk.gee came on stage. Bro was so nonchalant, and put a peace sign up and picked up his guitar. I was so antsy in my seat. I remember whispering, “Oh, God. Oh, God.”
Honestly, the rest was a blur, I couldn’t tell you what else happened. EXCEPT he used a special device/pedal to make his guitar sound like a flute, AND HE STARTED TO PLAY THE SOLO OF “MY HEART WILL GO ON” BY CELINE DION AT THE TIP OF HIS FINGERS. It was majestic. I remember crying and watching every single video back.
Six months later, I think I’m starting to make sense of it all. I’ve never felt more inspired as someone who hopes to make music of their own one day. Mk.gee is so original and unpredictable—not in the effort to be different but because he doesn’t want to be a copy and paste of someone else. I hope to approach all that I do with that same mindset, because I feel that the best craft comes from the most authentic intentions.
I recommend checking out Mk.gee, he’s a staple in the music industry that I feel many people don’t know about and he’s behind many of your favorite songs. Peel back the layers of what the music industry entails so you can find what you like beyond the mainstream!
Tracks I recommend: “Alesis”, “DNM”, “I Want”.