Respect the Neighbors: MIKE

The gap between the stage and the dance floor narrowed as a bridge of outstretched hands formed in the front row. Highlighted under the frosty-hued lights, fingertips grasped at the air in front of the monitors while others eagerly waved their palms, as if to catch the attention of a long-time friend. At that moment, I sensed the metal barricades separating artist from fan begin to dissolve. Balanced on the edge of the stage with arms wide open to the frenzy stood MIKE, the 26-year-old Brooklyn-based artist who, safe to say, is growing out of the “underground” label that’s been following him since his teen years.

The scene unfolded during MIKE's latest Chicago show. Since he began headlining tours at the start of the decade, MIKE’s flourishing audience has consistently called for bigger rooms and this year was no exception. The Somebody Find Me Trouble Tour closed out April with a performance at Metro, the 1,100-cap venue in Wrigleyville, in celebration of his 2023 record, Burning Desire.

MIKE is one of the select few who can make a concert hall feel as intimate as a DIY house show. Billed alongside friends 454, Niontay, El Cousteau, and DJs Marc & Taka, MIKE had the night set up as a family outing full of familiar faces. One of the early standout moments from the show had to be when Niontay and El Cousteau joined MIKE on stage for a surprise performance of “Mussel Beach.” The trio executed the perfect three-man weave; passing the mic as they criss-crossed each other on stage, finishing with El Cousteau for the final lay-up.

The setlist was an assemblage of the past, present, and future – consisting of everything from old favorites to the unreleased. For fans of his 2022 album, Beware of the Monkey, MIKE played its single “Stop Worry! (feat. Sister Nancy).” An ode to his mother, MIKE’s body language onstage emphasized the song’s heartfelt intentions. Raising his arms towards the ceiling in between bars, he expressed a vulnerability beyond what words can evoke. A treat for long-standing listeners, MIKE also performed “Hunger” off his 2017 project, MAY GOD BLESS YOUR HUSTLE. Given that it’s a track I’m used to hearing through the comfort of my own headphones, it was a surreal experience for me to finally hear it live.

With curfew nearing, MIKE shifted the spotlight off himself to make some noise for everybody else in the room. Talking to the crowd, he stressed the importance of cultivating self-worth, whilst also sending his praises up to the stagehands running the show. To the tune of his final song, “Closing Credits,” MIKE made his way offstage and into the audience. A collective expression of grief and hope echoed off the walls as MIKE and fans alike belted out the hook, “Somebody take the wheel for reallll!” Putting liberation at the forefront, prayers were sent out to the people of Palestine, Tigray, Congo, and Sudan as the instrumental looped to a closure.