mgk turns Hamilton, Ontario into a ‘lost americana’ wonderland

mgk brought the lost americana tour to Hamilton, Ontario on December 8 and fans proved that not even a Monday night could stop the city from showing up for him. From one tour to the next, he always one ups himself, and when you think he can’t dream up another eccentric stage, he proves you wrong. It was all so perfectly lost americana. From the Kells-ified Statue of Liberty to the cigarette mic stand and flashy visuals, the door swung wide open into the universe he’s spent so much time curating and it let the crowd walk right in.

The energy at an mgk show is something that’s nearly impossible to put into words. Fans spend weeks carefully putting together outfits that, not only make a statement, but also contribute to the theme of whichever album he’s touring. These first few weeks of the tour feel extra special because they celebrate his latest LP, lost americana, as well as the beloved Tickets to My Downfall, which turned five this year. Seeing what EST have created with their outfits is a testament to the art that Kells has built, a world his audience is eager to step into and bring to life.

Julia Wolf, an indie-pop icon with an obsession for the Twilight Saga, hit the stage at 8:00 PM sharp, weaving the saga’s moody aesthetic into every song and every moment of the show. Her entrance kicked things off with one of the movies’ most famous lines: “[Julia Wolf], Where the hell have you been, loca?” For her drummer, Levi, Hamilton’s very own, it must have felt surreal to be part of Wolf’s show in front of his hometown crowd. Her setlist included nods to Megan Fox with the hit song “Jennifer’s Body,” the viral sensation “In My Room,” and more.

At 9 o’clock, just after teasing “Times of My Life,” mgk surfaced from the mouth of the Statue of Liberty with “outlaw overture.” While wearing the iconic lost americana jacket and grabbing his guitar, he welcomes the crowd to the lost americana tour. He jokes about how dangerous it is for him to spend time in Canada, admitting he picks up the Canadian accent way too quickly. In an attempt to describe “what the fuck’s gonna happen tonight” in the most Canadian way possible, he brought out Alberta standup comedian Drew Behm.

In the first half of the show, Kells declared “ay!” as Canada’s theme song, got the floor vibrating with a performance of “Wild Boy,” and, since they were in Canada, there was obviously a Drake shoutout, delivered through a drum solo from Rook. He invited fans on stage to be his “bloody valentine” before moving to the B-stage for a more intimate set. There, he performed “don’t let me go,” his verse on NF’s “Who I Was,” a cover of Zach Bryan’s “sun to me,” and closed with “Lonely Road.”

Back on the main stage, mgk brought Wolf out for their cover of The Goo Goo Dolls’ “Iris,” kicking off an emotional string of moments. He performed “lonely,” a song written to express the grief from losing his father and aunt, followed by a dedication to his daughters with “play this when i’m gone,” accompanied by a video montage of memories of him and his daughter Casie through the years. With this being the first tour without his close friend Dingo, Kells honored him with a touching tribute on “your name forever,” with videos celebrating the time they spent together playing in the background.

Picking things back up, mgk pulled out the underrated “why are you here” before slipping on his dancing shoes for “cliché,” “sweet coraline,” and “vampire diaries.” Every cheer, every outfit, every moment in the crowd felt like a part of the larger story mgk has been telling with his music for the past two decades.

lost americana tour Dates:
12/12 – Boston, MA – TD Garden
12/13 – Brooklyn, NY – Barclays Center
12/14 – Philadelphia, PA – Wells Fargo Center
12/16 – Nashville, TN – Bridgestone Arena
12/19 – Tampa, FL – Amalie Arena
2/15 – Bologna, Italy – Unipol Arena
2/17 – Munich, Germany – Olympiahalle
2/18 – Vienna, Austria – Wiener Stadhalle
2/20 – Kraków, Poland – Tauron Arena Krakow
2/21 – Prague, Czech Republic – O2 Arena
2/24 – Berlin, Germany – Uber Arena
2/25 – Hamburg, Germany – Barclays Arena
2/27 – Paris, France – Adidas Arena
3/2 – Cologne, Germany – Lanxess Arena
3/3 – Amsterdam, Netherlands – Ziggo Dome
3/5 – London, United Kingdom – O2 Arena
3/7 – Manchester, United Kingdom – Co-Op Live
3/8 – Glasgow, United Kingdom – Ovo Hydro
3/10 – Birmingham, United Kingdom – Utilita Arena Birmingham
3/12 – Dublin, Ireland – 3Arena
4/8 – Perth, Australia – Rac Arena
4/11 – Melbourne, Australia – Rod Laver Arena
4/14 – Sydney, Australia – Qudos Bank Arena
4/16 – Boondall, Australia – Brisbane Entertainment Centre
4/18 – Auckland, New Zealand – Spark Arena
5/15 – Wheatland, CA – Toyota Amphitheatre
5/16 – Concord, CA – Toyota Pavilion at Concord
5/17 – Chula Vista, CA – North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre
5/20 – Albuquerque, NM – Isleta Amphitheater
5/22 – Austin, TX – Germania Insurance Amphitheater
5/23 – Houston, TX – The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
5/24 – Dallas, TX – Dos Equis Pavilion
5/27 – West Palm Beach, FL – iThink Financial Amphitheatre
5/29 – Atlanta, GA – Lakewood Amphitheatre
5/30 – Charleston, SC – Credit One Stadium
5/31 – Charlotte, NC – PNC Music Pavilion
6/2 – Raleigh, NC – Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek
6/3 – Bristow, VA – Jiffy Lube Live
6/5 – Bangor, ME – Maine Savings Amphitheater
6/6 – Hartford, CT – XFinity Theatre
6/9 – Holmdel, NJ – PNC Bank Arts Center
6/10 – Burgettstown, PA – The Pavilion at Star Lake
6/12 – Scranton, PA – The Pavilion at Montage Mountain
6/13 – Darien Center, NY – Darien Lake Amphitheater
6/14 – Toronto, ON – Budweiser Stage
6/16 – Clarkston, MI – Pine Knob Music Theatre
6/17 – Grand Rapids, MI – Acrisure Amphitheater
6/19 – St. Louis, MO – Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre
6/20 – Noblesville, IN – Ruoff Music Center
6/26 – Salt Lake City, UT – Utah First Credit Union Amphitheatre
6/27 – Boise, ID – Ford Idaho Center Amphitheater
6/29 – Vancouver, BC – Rogers Arena
6/30 – Auburn, WA – White River Amphitheatre
7/1 – Ridgefield, WA – Cascades Amphitheater