Mk.gee performs his song "Candy" from his latest album 'Two Star and The Dream Police' for the second time in one night during his show at The Vic Theatre in Chicago on Thursday, Oct. 3, 2024.
If you're a fan of atmospheric melodies gliding over funky guitar riffs reminiscent of 80's pop, you might consider yourself a fan of the New Jersey-born artist Mk.gee.
Michael Gordon, better known by his stage name Mk.gee, seemingly rose to stardom in an instant after unveiling his debut album, 'Two Star and The Dream Police', on Feb. 9, 2024. It didn't take long for the masses to take notice of his versatility as a guitarist, producer, singer and songwriter following its release.
Just a few months later, the artist embarked on his debut world tour, which sold out almost immediately. Mk.gee's show at The Vic Theatre in Chicago marks the halfway point, with a final U.S. stop in Minneapolis before heading overseas for the last leg of the tour.
Well-known musicians have expressed their interest in the artist's distinctive use of electric guitar, including Eric Clapton and Frank Ocean, who gave Mk.gee a co-sign. Clapton praised the LA-based guitarist and producer Mk.gee in an interview with The Real Music Observer, saying that Mk.gee plays guitar "like nobody else". For many, it's difficult to capture the essence of the artist, as his sound defies easy categorization.
"The sounds that he's able to make with his guitar is extremely unique, you'll hear something in a song that you think is a synth or something, and you watch it live and he's playing it on a guitar- it's like, what the fuck?" Rueter said.
Reis Rueter, who traveled with his friends from Wisconsin to catch the show, expanded on the artist's elusiveness.
"I feel like other artists are a little more clean on how they make an album because they want it to sound clean for you," Rueter said. "Mk.gee forfeits some of the clarity to get the emotion in there, and I think that sets him apart."
As lights dimmed inside of the historic Vic Theatre, the chatter of 1,400 attendees softened and phone cameras lifted up into the air. A beam of light cut through the darkness, illuminating silhouetted figures as they took their places on stage. At the center stood the unmistakable Mk.gee, dressed in his signature baggy clothing and long hair framing his presence.
For fan Raul Figuoa, it was his second time seeing Mk.gee live in concert. He said the artist's versatility serves as an inspiration for his own musical endeavors.
"[Mk.gee's music] It's everything that I idolize as an artist since I'm trying to make music right now. It inspires me to do more than just play drums," Figuoa said. "It inspires me to pick up a keyboard, pick up a guitar and bass."
The synth-heavy, distorted guitar paired with warm, muddy vocals set the tone for Mk.gee's intimate yet expansive sound on stage. Throughout the show, Mk.gee remained a shadow, backlit by a strobe spotlight, drawing attention solely to the music rather than himself. He played electric guitar while singing throughout the show, accompanied by a bass guitarist and a synth/percussion player.
RJ Panganiban, who stood at the barricade throughout the entire show, described the artist's sound as something that's both futuristic yet nostalgic.
"You listen to his 'Two Star and The Dream Police' and you feel the nostalgia somehow, but you know it's completely new, you haven't heard anything like it before."
Mk.gee avoided performing a typical setlist, playing some songs multiple different times and seamlessly jumping between slow, intimate ballads and high energy tracks accompanied by blinding strobes lights.
Grace Pelky, who commuted into the city from Sandwich, Illinois reflected on the performance after the show.
"He played 'Candy' twice, which is one of my favorite songs and then he played 'DNM' five or six times, which was so fun," Pelky said. "I don't know, I'm at a loss for words."
The artist spoke sparingly to the crowd but showed gratitude through a series of subtle gestures -- whether by saying "I love you all" or unleashing a high-pitched excited screech into the microphone various times throughout the night.
Mk.gee closed out his show with a cover of "My Heart Will Go On" by Céline Dion, uniquely making his guitar do all of the singing for him.