MGK kicks off Lost Americana Tour with a fiery start in Phoenix

When’s the last time you saw an artist hang upside down from scaffolding and belt out a tune? For me, the answer is 2023, when I saw MGK — the artist formerly known as Machine Gun Kelly — perform in Scottsdale at a Super Bowl party hosted by Sports Illustrated.

I’d seen plenty of shows, but that was the first time I’d ever seen an artist do that. It felt like you had no idea what he was going to do next, and that’s why I was so excited to see a full show of his on a rare rainy Tuesday, Nov. 18, in the Valley when he kicked off his Lost Americana Tour at Desert Diamond Arena.

The stage featured a red curtain, revealing just a hand holding a lit cigarette. During her set, opener Julia Wolf (who has such a gorgeous voice) said she couldn’t wait for people to see what was behind the curtain. She was right; it was spectacular. A half-buried, distressed-looking Statue of Liberty was protruding from the stage and holding that cigarette. The eyes and open mouth lit up throughout the show.

MGK emerged from her mouth and grabbed a guitar that was slowly being lowered down from the ceiling before launching into the “Lost Americana” track “Outlaw Overture” to get the ball rolling. I personally loved the imagery. I felt that it was an accurate reflection of the dystopian-like era of time we’re living in. Behind the Statue of Liberty — which also featured a nose ring similar to MGK’s — was a screen that flashed with various imagery tailored to each song. The display was grandiose and made for a visually interesting set piece. The flashing lights and even lasers throughout the night lit up the entire arena.

The show included a performance of his 2020 “Tickets to My Downfall” album, which catapulted him to widespread fame. The Cleveland native, whose real name is Colson Baker, was a rapper before switching over to pop rock. The show kicked off with a few tracks from “Lost Americana,” sprinkled in with a few other songs from previous albums, before going into the “Tickets to My Downfall” section. He wrapped that up with more “Lost Americana” songs.

He walked out into the crowd, performed a medley of acoustic tracks on a small, elevated block, and rose from beneath the stage.

The songs traveled between loud and acoustic numbers, and it was done with ease. It never felt disjointed. He made it all flow with an organic and cohesive feel.

First night thrills

Last night felt special. The Phoenix show was the very first one of this world tour that is slated to run until July 1, 2026. Throughout the night, MGK mentioned how special this was several times. He also said that the set design might change during the tour, which made this feel even more like a truly unique offering. He closed out the night by saying that he’d never forget the show.

Time travel

Fashion-wise, I saw plenty of nods to the early 2000s. Musically, two important moments paid tribute to beloved ‘90s tunes. First up was “Starman,” which features lyrics from Third Eye Blind’s “Semi-Charmed Life.” MGK even personally asked permission from Third Eye Blind singer Stephan Jenkins during the California wildfires to borrow them. “I want something else to get me through this semi-charmed kind of life” will always resonate. The other was his duet with Wolf. They were both lifted on suspended scaffolds and sang the Goo Goo Dolls classic “Iris.” Her voice, which is so high and beautiful, and his deeper vocals, made for a perfect pairing. It added a new dimension to the powerful, iconic track.

Striking solos

A few of my favorite music moments were the solos by various artists throughout the night. British guitarist Sophie Lloyd played an extended guitar solo to close out “My Ex’s Best Friend,” which I absolutely dug. That’s one of his signature tunes, and it was refreshing to see a different spin on it. The drummer played a longer solo at one point, and drum solos are just so rad to see in person. My favorite arrangement of the night was “Orpheus.” While he smoked a lit cigarette, MGK sang softly before belting out on top of the Statue of Liberty’s hand about how hard it can be to hold onto love. Megan Fox is listed as a co-writer on the track, and it was the closest he came to a tribute without mentioning her by name. I just loved the long cello part that accompanied the entire track. It gave the track a more soulful feeling.

Girl-dad moments

MGK is a dad to two daughters, and he sang “Play This When I’m Gone” on that small platform near the back of the arena while images of his daughter splashed up on the screen. I couldn’t help but smile seeing footage of the pair from over the years. Videos of her as a baby and toddler, and then him giving an excited Casie her very first car. He also brought up a little girl on stage to sing with him. Although I did find it somewhat odd that he would sing a line like “Why don’t I ever see you sober?” from his “Forget Me Too” duet with Halsey (concerts are rarely for young children, except for Weird Al), it was cute to see him up there with her. He mentioned that she said something adorable. He wanted to repeat it to the crowd, but she asked him not to. He kept the secret, which was a perfect segue into the track “Secrets,” which is all about hiding a one-night stand.

Crowd ‘n’ clothes

The arena wasn’t sold out, but wasn’t empty either. Two of the upper sections on the sides of the arena were blocked off with hanging black screens. MGK said that there were about 8,000 people there. These are tough times we’re in, with plenty of people struggling financially, lowering the ability to shell out for concert tickets. MGK did mention this during the show, how that would affect attendance.

When I was waiting to get in, I noticed someone wearing an Arizona Coyotes jersey (RIP) in the security line. Seeing as the Desert Diamond Arena is the team’s old home, it makes sense why. Losing a sports team just hurts. I sat in front of a brave dad who took four teenage girls to the show. He left with some glitter on the left shoulder of his T-shirt. We talked about comfortable running shoes before the show started — I’m team Brooks, btw. What I noticed the most was people decked out in punky attire that was largely inspired by the 2000s. Black and white checked slip-on shoes, fishnets, leather pants, Dr. Martens and studded belts. I did see some low-rise jeans (shudder), and I do wish that some trends would stay in the past. MGK donned an Ed Hardy ball cap that’s part of a collection with the brand released in conjunction with the tour.

I do think a key part of MGK’s appeal is that he’s tapping into music fans who long for new material inspired by early 2000s rock music. I know I do. It’s more than evident that’s true. Two Blink-182 songs, specifically “What’s My Age Again” and “Damn It,” played before MGK took the stage. Blink-182 was my first concert back in 2005, and was also the last band I saw play in this same arena. Although the Blink show was far more crowded. Finally, I saw two guys dressed just like MGK with the white button shirt, loose ties and pink hair, just outside the entrance of the arena after the show finished.

Final thoughts

During the show, the artist did mention that “Lost Americana” was not nominated for a Grammy, but despite that, he still considers himself to be one of the last true rock stars left. Although this did sound a tad cocky, it’s also true. “Tickets to My Downfall” has proven itself to be a truly great album with artist-defining jams that are enduring. I, for one, am glad to see a modern-day rock artist thriving. He finished up the show with a performance of “Vampire Diaries,” which is all about how difficult it can be to be a star.

I believe MGK is far more self-aware than he often gets credit for. He knew there would be backlash when he left rap, so he called his album “Tickets to My Downfall.” An ironic name, no doubt. On the bonus track from that album, “No Cell Phones in Rehab,” he mentions in the lyrics that he went online and “saw that a lot of people don’t like me.”

My favorite bit of the night was a parody of a YouTube personality talking about how they hated “Downfall” but then embraced it as the album took off. The character then donned MGK’s outrageous purple suit with silver spikes that he wore to the American Music Awards.

He’s aware that he’s not always well-liked, but I think he understands that it’s ultimately impossible to make everyone like you. You just have to court the people who do care and keep persevering.

Reflecting on the night, what I’m struck by most is MGK’s versatility. He’s such a dynamic artist, but it’s often overshadowed by his colorful image and exhausting relationship history. It was an exercise in polarities: Hard and soft, sweet and crude, light and dark, loud and quiet. Sometimes all of those things simultaneously, showing his layers.

A solid kick off to a world tour, indeed.