All photos by Anthony Bauer
On the third night of the 2017 Northside Festival not only were we treated with absolutely beautiful weather for an outdoor show, but we were also treated with an amazing, high-energy performance from the one and only Miguel at McCarren Park. Miguel is still out in support of his album Wildheart which was released back in 2015 (via RCA Records).
Last years MVP of Northside Festival seemed to have kept that title intact for the 2017 version of the festival by lining up some of the most interesting headliners they’ve had to date. When we saw Miguel’s name pop up as a headliner, we got excited, as the last time we saw him was in 2015, at the much more tiny and intimate space of Le Poisson Rouge (as well as at the Landmark Festival). Since then, we have been eagerly waiting to catch his live show again.
The 12-song setlist didn’t skimp out on fan favorites, as the opening 1-2-3-4 punch of “…going to hell,” “The Thrill,” “Sure Thing,” and “Simple Things,” had everybody in the crowd dancing and singing along, loudly and passionately. It seemed like Miguel himself never stopped moving, as no space on the stage was left untouched by him. His energy level was unmatched as he jumped, danced, and ran around from left to right and everywhere in-between, the entire night. For the most part, his band stayed put where they were, but the guitarist came out towards the middle of the set and began interacting with Miguel and hyping the crowd up which only made the Northside crowd go 10 times crazier.
It’s also important to note that this was one of the best crowds I think I’ve ever encountered at any Northside show – not only this year, but maybe ever. Everybody was dancing and grooving along with the smooth vocals Miguel was putting down and one of the best things was that there were very few cellphones out for most of the show. When I was moving through the crowd I must have missed something as when I poked my head up to see what was going on, a sea of cellphones emerged from the darkness capturing every move Miguel was making.
Towards the end of the set we got a stellar version of “coffee” and then the set ending “face the sun” which left us and the Northside crowd more than satisfied. We’ve been impressed with his live performance, but this show really solidifies Miguel as being one of the best live acts touring right now. He checked off all the points you’d want from a killer show: high energy, entertaining from start to finish, and of course downright amazing musicianship from Miguel and his entire band.
Find the setlist along with a full gallery posted below.
Miguel Setlist:
1. …going to hell
2. The Thrill
3. Sure Thing
4. Simple Things
5. Do You…
6. Hollywood Dreams
7. How Many Drinks?
8. Candles in the Sun
9. Adorn
10. waves
11. coffee
12. face the sun
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