Photo by Chris Willard
It wouldn’t be graduation season in Cambridge without an insane amount of traffic. Unfortunately for Mk.gee fans, that meant waiting an hour past the originally scheduled door times to get into the Sinclair for Sunday night’s sold out show. Although the wind was chilly and the rain made a guest appearance, the wait didn’t diminish the excitement of the attendees. Once inside, it was a mystery what would happen next. It was unclear if there was an opener for the tour, but the question was answered after Zack Sedoff, a member of Mk.gee’s band, started mixing on an electric drum set under a single spotlight. He apologized for being late and made it up to the crowd by playing energetic, digital beats mixed with rap and R&B vocals. Then suddenly, he left the stage and a few minutes later, it was finally time for the main event.
Two bright white spotlights, perhaps a clever nod to the featured album’s title, shone behind Mk.gee and guitarist Andrew Aged as they took the stage. They were both masked by the light with only their silhouettes glowing. Mk.gee started to play an interlude into the first song of the night, “Dream Police”, and his combination of guitar pedals created a tone reminiscent of an electric violin. Between each song, there was so much improvisation blending each track together. This is unlike the album which has transitions like choppy, lo-fi recordings and snippets of piano notes. Unfortunately for long-time fans, there were only songs from Two Star on the setlist. This has been the norm for the whole tour except for one song, but to fan’s delight, that song was replaced with “DNM,”. a danceable track that had everyone moving. There was also a sneak peak at a new track, “Lovely Fight,” an ambient, heavy ballad that read like a cool version of a middle school slow song. Later on in the set, Mk.gee switched to the more popular songs from the album, like “Candy” and “Are You Looking Up” and the crowd went nuts. Although Two Star is less than six months old, the audience had done their homework and knew every word, beat, and pause. “Alesis” was supposed to be the finale of the show, but the artist had other plans. Excitedly, Mk.gee exclaimed, “We’re playing it again! Sue me! This shit rocks!” The venue erupted as he launched back into “Candy” one more time.
Two Star & the Dream Police (the album) and Two Star & the Dream Police (the performance) are two separate entities. The album feels light, nostalgic, and romantic in nature. There’s a quietness in its production that isn’t translated live, but not in a disappointing way. The performance was darker, noisier, and like it was fueled by a passion for sound. “New Low” is the fresh and upbeat starter on the album, but the live version was heavier and more dramatic. Each song felt new, fresh, and reworked for the live show. After the encore was over, Mk.gee exclaimed that he’d see the crowd “soon, very soon.” However, attendees shouldn’t expect to see the rising star in a venue this intimate again any time soon. If this show proved anything, it’s that this is only the beginning of Mk.gee’s journey.