{"id":390981,"date":"2025-11-19T23:55:13","date_gmt":"2025-11-19T23:55:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/390981\/"},"modified":"2025-11-19T23:55:13","modified_gmt":"2025-11-19T23:55:13","slug":"mgk-was-versatile-and-dynamic-at-phoenix-tour-kick-off-show","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/390981\/","title":{"rendered":"MGK was versatile and dynamic at Phoenix tour kick-off show"},"content":{"rendered":"

When\u2019s the last time you saw an artist hang upside down from scaffolding and belt out a tune? For me, the answer is 2023, when I saw MGK<\/a> \u2014 the artist formerly known as Machine Gun Kelly \u2014 perform in Scottsdale at a Super Bowl party hosted by Sports Illustrated.<\/p>\n

I\u2019d seen plenty of shows, but that was the first time I\u2019d ever seen an artist do that. It felt like you just had no idea what he was going to do next, and that\u2019s why I was so excited to see a full show of his on a rare rainy Tuesday, Nov. 18, in the Valley when he kicked off his Lost Americana Tour at Desert Diamond Arena<\/a>. <\/p>\n

The stage featured a red curtain with a hand holding a lit cigarette peeking out. During her set, opener Julia Wolf (who has such a gorgeous voice) said she couldn\u2019t wait for people to see what was behind the curtain. It was quite a spectacular reveal. A half-buried, distressed-looking Statue of Liberty was protruding from the stage and holding that cigarette. The eyes and open mouth lit up all during the show. <\/p>\n

MGK<\/a> emerged from her mouth and grabbed a guitar that was slowly being lowered down from the ceiling before launching into the \u201cLost Americana\u201d track \u201cOutlaw Overture\u201d to get the ball rolling. I personally loved the imagery. I felt that it was an accurate reflection of the dystopian-like era of time we\u2019re living in. Behind the Statue of Liberty \u2014 which also featured a nose ring similar to MGK\u2019s \u2014 was a screen that flashed with various imagery tailored to each song. The display was grandiose and made for a visually interesting set piece. The flashing lights and even lasers throughout the night lit up the entire arena.<\/p>\n

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The show included a performance of his 2020 \u201cTickets to My Downfall\u201d album, which catapulted him to widespread fame. The Cleveland native, whose real name is Colson Baker, was a rapper before switching over to pop rock. The show kicked off with a few tracks from \u201cLost Americana,\u201d sprinkled in with a few other songs from previous albums, before going into the \u201cTickets to My Downfall\u201d section. He wrapped that up with more \u201cLost Americana\u201d songs.<\/p>\n

He walked out into the crowd, performed a medley of acoustic tracks on a small, elevated block, and rose from beneath the stage. <\/p>\n

The songs traveled between loud and acoustic numbers, and it was done with ease. It never felt disjointed. He made it all flow with an organic and cohesive feel. <\/p>\n

\"\"MGK emerged from the Statue of Liberty at Desert Diamond Arena on Nov. 18, 2025.<\/p>\n

First night thrills<\/p>\n

Last night felt special. The Phoenix show was the very first one of this world tour that is slated to run until July 1, 2026. Throughout the night, MGK mentioned how special this was several times. He also said that the set design might change during the tour, which made this feel even more like a truly unique offering. He closed out the night by saying that he\u2019d never forget the show.<\/p>\n

Time travel<\/p>\n

Fashion-wise, I saw plenty of nods to the early 2000s. Musically, two important moments paid tribute to beloved \u201890s tunes. First up was \u201cStarman,\u201d which features lyrics from Third Eye Blind\u2019s \u201cSemi-Charmed Life.\u201d MGK even personally asked permission from Third Eye Blind singer Stephan Jenkins during the California wildfires to borrow them. \u201cI want something else to get me through this semi-charmed kind of life\u201d will always resonate. The other was his duet with Wolf<\/a>. They were both lifted up on suspended scaffolds and sang the Goo Goo Dolls classic \u201cIris.\u201d Her voice, which is so high and beautiful, and his deeper vocals, made for a perfect pairing. It added a new dimension to the powerful, iconic track.<\/p>\n

Striking solos<\/p>\n

A few of my favorite music moments were the solos by various artists throughout the night. British guitarist Sophie Lloyd played an extended guitar solo to close out \u201cMy Ex\u2019s Best Friend,\u201d which I absolutely dug. That\u2019s one of his signature tunes, and it was refreshing to see a different spin on it. The drummer played a longer solo at one point, and drum solos are just so rad to see in person. My favorite arrangement of the night was \u201cOrpheus.\u201d While he smoked a lit cigarette, MGK sang softly before belting out on top of the Statue of Liberty\u2019s hand about how hard it can be to hold onto love. Megan Fox is listed as a cowriter on the track, and it was the closest he came to a tribute without mentioning her by name. I just loved the long cello part that accompanied the entire track. It gave the track a more soulful feeling.<\/p>\n

Girl-dad moments<\/p>\n

MGK is a dad to two daughters, and he sang \u201cPlay This When I\u2019m Gone\u201d on that small platform near the back of the arena while images of his daughter splashed up on the screen. I couldn\u2019t help but smile seeing footage of the pair from over the years. Videos of her as a baby and toddler, and then him giving an excited Casie her very first car. He also brought up a little girl on stage to sing with him. Although I did find it somewhat odd that he would sing a line like \u201cWhy don\u2019t I ever see you sober?\u201d from his \u201cForget Me Too\u201d duet with Halsey (concerts are rarely for young children, except for Weird Al), it was cute to see him up there with her. He mentioned that she said something adorable. He wanted to repeat it to the crowd, but she asked him not to. He kept the secret, which was a perfect segue into the track \u201cSecrets,\u201d which is all about hiding a one-night stand.<\/p>\n

\"\"Julia Wolf opens for MGK on Nov. 18 at Desert Diamond Arena.<\/p>\n

Crowd \u2018n\u2019 clothes<\/p>\n

The arena wasn\u2019t sold out, but wasn\u2019t empty either. Two of the upper sections on the sides of the arena were blocked off with hanging black screens. MGK said that there were about 8,000 people there. These are tough times we\u2019re in, with plenty of people struggling financially, lowering the ability to shell out for concert tickets. MGK did mention this during the show, how that would affect attendance.<\/p>\n

When I was waiting to get in, I noticed someone wearing an Arizona Coyotes jersey (RIP) in the security line. Seeing as the Desert Diamond Arena is the team\u2019s old home, it makes sense why. Losing a sports team just hurts. I sat in front of a brave dad who took four teenage girls to the show. He left with some glitter on the left shoulder of his T-shirt. We talked about comfortable running shoes before the show started \u2014 I\u2019m team Brooks, btw. What I noticed the most was people decked out in punky attire that was largely inspired by the 2000s. Black and white checked slip-on shoes, fishnets, leather pants, Dr. Martens and studded belts. I did see some low-rise jeans (shudder), and I do wish that some trends would stay in the past. MGK donned an Ed Hardy ball cap that\u2019s part of a collection with the brand released in conjunction with the tour. <\/p>\n

I do think a key part of MGK\u2019s appeal is that he\u2019s tapping into music fans who long for new material inspired by early 2000s rock music. I know I do. It\u2019s more than evident that\u2019s true. Two Blink-182 songs, specifically \u201cWhat\u2019s My Age Again\u201d and \u201cDamn It,\u201d played before MGK took the stage. Blink-182 was my first concert back in 2005, and was also the last band I saw play in this same arena. Although the Blink show was far more crowded. Finally, I saw two guys dressed just like MGK with the white button shirt, loose ties and pink hair, just outside the entrance of the arena after the show finished.<\/p>\n

Final thoughts<\/p>\n

During the show, the artist did mention that \u201cLost Americana\u201d was not nominated for a Grammy, but despite that, he still considers himself to be one of the last true rock stars left. Although this did sound a tad cocky, it\u2019s also true. \u201cTickets to My Downfall\u201d has proven itself to be a truly great album with artist-defining jams that are enduring. I, for one, am glad to see a modern-day rock artist thriving. He finished up the show with a performance of \u201cVampire Diaries,\u201d which is all about how difficult it can be to be a star.<\/p>\n

I believe MGK is far more self-aware than he often gets credit for. He knew there would be backlash when he left rap, so he called his album \u201cTickets to My Downfall.\u201d An ironic name, no doubt. On the bonus track from that album, \u201cNo Cell Phones in Rehab,\u201d he mentions in the lyrics that he went online and \u201csaw that a lot of people don\u2019t like me.\u201d<\/p>\n

My favorite bit of the night was a parody of a YouTube personality talking about how they hated \u201cDownfall\u201d but then embraced it as the album took off. The character then donned MGK\u2019s outrageous purple suit with silver spikes that he wore to the American Music Awards. <\/p>\n

He\u2019s aware that he\u2019s not always well-liked, but I think he understands that it\u2019s ultimately impossible to make everyone like you. You just have to court the people who do care and keep persevering. <\/p>\n

Reflecting on the night, what I\u2019m struck by most is MGK\u2019s versatility. He\u2019s such a dynamic artist, but it\u2019s often overshadowed by his colorful image and exhausting relationship history. It was an exercise in polarities: Hard and soft, sweet and crude, light and dark, loud and quiet. Sometimes all of those things simultaneously, showing his layers.<\/p>\n

A solid kick off to a world tour, indeed.<\/p>\n

\"\"MGK on stage and screen at Desert Diamond Arena on Nov. 18 in Glendale.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"When\u2019s the last time you saw an artist hang upside down from scaffolding and belt out a tune?…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":390982,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5131],"tags":[5229,5643,1587,89977,1589,67,586,132,5230,68,2969],"class_list":{"0":"post-390981","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-phoenix","8":"tag-america","9":"tag-arizona","10":"tag-az","11":"tag-concert-reviews","12":"tag-phoenix","13":"tag-united-states","14":"tag-united-states-of-america","15":"tag-unitedstates","16":"tag-unitedstatesofamerica","17":"tag-us","18":"tag-usa"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/115579069105741473","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/390981","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=390981"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/390981\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/390982"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=390981"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=390981"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=390981"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}