Miguel’s Milwaukee concert March 3 was a new experience in more ways than one.
Sure, the R&B star is touring behind his first new album in eight years – last October’s genre-splicing “Caos,” which naturally constituted a sizable portion of his 107-minute set.
But this was also Miguel’s first concert ever in Milwaukee, after scrapping a planned 2018 Riverside Theater show to perform at the Oscars. And this was just the third major show ever at Milwaukee’s newest concert venue, the 4,500-person-capacity Landmark Credit Union Live in Deer District.
Officials with Madison-based, Live Nation-backed venue operator FPC Live have touted how Landmark Credit Union Live would be equipped to stage big productions, acing the test Miguel’s “Caos” put it through. Among the most elaborate setups I’ve seen for a show beneath the arena level, Miguel came out with a smooth croon to some jagged guitar licks while atop an overturned cop car in the center of the stage, for “Caos” tune “Perderme.” Three lighting rigs moved up, down and sideways above Miguel and the three-piece band throughout the night. Occasionally a stoic, creepy face – looking like some unsettling art piece from Lumon Enterprises on “Severance” on Apple TV – hovered and tilted above the stage. (It also took center stage for a few between-song moments accompanied by pompous, wordy prerecorded musings Mr. Milchick from “Severance” would admire.)
Landmark Credit Union Live – constructed for around $70 million – was well equipped to handle Miguel’s arena-like stage ambitions. Sonically it was equally impressive, from his drummer’s ripping attack on the kit for a heart-racing “RIP,” to the soft radiance of Miguel’s voice (solely accompanied by gentle, note-cascading riffing from his guitarist) for a sweet “Simple Things.”
Miguel slams ICE, Iran war, police, Jeffrey Epstein associates
Miguel was clearly intent on making a big statement during his concert – and that included big political statements.
Ahead of “New Martyrs (Ride 4 U),” Miguel was off that upside down car, spray-painting on its side “ICE out,” and leading “ICE out” chants during the song, triggering impassioned “(expletive) ICE” screams after it ended. Miguel expanded his scorn after that for “Triggered,” peppering the performance with cries of “(expletive) ICE,” “(expletive) the police” and “(expletive) war,” undoubtedly in response to the U.S. war against Iran that began Feb. 28.
“We’ve been pushed into a war without consent by the American people,” Miguel said to cheers afterward, while sitting atop the car. “Come to find out, the whole (expletive) world being ran by pedophiles” he added, referring to the ongoing revelations from the Epstein files, to cathartic screams from the crowd. “Meanwhile, the journey of all those that came before us is being undermined, right here, in our own home. There is nothing worse than being ignored or feeling ignored.”
Later in the set, Miguel shed light on why he began writing songs when he was 8, so that his voice could be heard. And much of the night’s boldest expression was through his singing and his showmanship.
The title track of his new album saw Miguel smoothly salsa dancing atop that car. It was a sharp juxtaposition from the brooding rock vibe of the set’s previous song, “The Killing,” that illustrated “Caos'” boundary-pushing range. Miguel’s passion brought him to his knees for “How Many Drinks,” and during “Coffee,” he threw himself into Alysa Liu-level spins, without sacrificing the lush tone and deep emotion of his voice.
For all the bells and whistles, and impassioned speeches and ambitious music, Miguel’s vocals were the star of the night, sublime for each of the evening’s 24 songs. That was especially evident during a sparse “Girl With The Tattoo Enter.Lewd,” with Miguel looping his vocals to create an angelic voice – and changing shirts to elated screams for a shameless energy boost.
Naturally, the show led to “Sure Thing.” Like other Miguel songs, the slick R&B jam felt ahead of its time, and proved to be. Appearing on Miguel’s debut album “All I Want Is You” in 2010, “Sure Thing” surprisingly went viral on TikTok about 12 years later, returning to the Billboard Hot 100 (peaking at number 11 in 2023) and amassing over 2 billion streams on Spotify alone.
But what was otherwise a largely flawless night technically speaking hit a snafu for this finale, with Miguel frequently touching his in-ear monitor, and gesturing for higher volume. It appeared to hold Miguel back from any fiery vocal finishes, the boisterous crowd singalong filling in any lyrical gaps. Considering a Milwaukee Miguel concert never seemed like a sure thing, fans were clearly happy to get what they got.
Five takeaways from Miguel’s Milwaukee concert, including opener Jean Dawson
Miguel’s Landmark Credit Union Live setlist
Contact Piet Levy at (414) 223-5162 or plevy@journalsentinel.com. Follow him at facebook.com/PietLevyMJS.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Miguel helps break in new venue, blasts ICE at first Milwaukee concert
Reporting by Piet Levy, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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