Ingrid Michaelson writes and sings beautiful songs. Early in her set, she plays Keep Breathing ) and the audience responds with their full attention to this expertly crafted song; the magic continues right into “Maybe”. Ingrid then invites her lead guitarist and the lead singer from Secret Someones on to the stage to sing with her. They perform a fantastic version of Skinny Love that has the whole audience swaying. Prior to singing “The Way I Am”, she labels the tune as a “fart song”. She quickly explains, “it just came out.” During “You and I”, the entire band, including the lead singer from Jukebox the Ghost, surround one microphone and alternate the vocals. The continuous changing of vocalist and band setup makes every song fresh and exciting.
Later on, the band performs an excellent mashup of covers while playing the same chords. Ingrid starts with “Soldier” and then transitions to “Poker Face”. The lead guitarist sings a few lines of “One of Us” followed by the other guitarist singing “With or Without You”. The bassist sings “Undone (The Sweater Song)” followed by the keyboardist singing “Call Me Maybe”. The mashup finishes with Ingrid singing “Ghost”. This innovative performance delighted the already captive audience.
Before starting the next song, Ingrid stands in the center of the stage without a microphone or an instrument. Clearly puzzled by the lack of her tools, she runs off to the side of the stage. Ingrid quickly returns to the stage and heads to the keyboards. This talented performer explains that they just added a new song to the set list and was confused by the lack of the microphone. “It was like a nightmare being alone on stage!” she exclaimed. The casual way she interacts with the crowd draws everyone in and creates an intimate show despite performing in a large venue such as The Chicago Theatre. All of this wonderful entertainer’s stage banter is an absolute joy for the audience. “Before I completely unravel, let me say this. If anyone is reviewing this show, please stop reviewing now!”
Quinn Delaney
See the full setlist here.
PlaylistHQ 