[ATTENDED: September 29, 2024] Michael Kiwanuka
Michael Kiwanuka’s previous album Kiwanuka was a slow burning joy for me. I liked every song that I heard from it even though I never actively listened to it. And then I bought it and liked it even more.
I knew I wanted to see him live (he appears in the film Yesterday as himself and was suitably cool in it).
So when this tour was announced I grabbed a ticket right away. Since it was a double bill, I wasn’t sure who was going on first. In my head, Brittany Howard is a bigger draw than Michael Kiwanuka, but what do I know.
If nothing else I thought that maybe the two artists would share maybe the same stage set, maybe even the same musicians. I mean, can you imagine if they had the same backing band and Brittany left and then Michael came out with no changes at all? That would be wild!
And implausible of course. Brittany set was taken down, Michael’s was put up and then his band came out.
He had three backing singers which was awesome because so many of his songs have great backing vocals.
He came out in an amazing patchwork shirt, picked up his acoustic guitar and THAT VOICE! He sounded amazing.
He switched for an electric guitar and played the song that first got me hooked on him, You Ain’t the Problem. With that ringing keyboard note and the amazing backing singers, it sounded bigger than the recorded version
He played three songs from Kiwanuka then jumped back to the earlier album and the simple but powerful anthem Black Man in a White World.
His backing band was great as well. I don’t know if we heard the names of any of them. But I lived the sounds that the lead guitarist was making. There were several songs where I could really focus on how great the basslines were. And there were to different guys who were moving between keys, drums and bongos. And then of course the three backing singers. During Rule the World one of the backing singers had a solo moment and … wow her voice was amazing.
Things settled down for the slow opening of Hero which segued into that familiar lead guitar riff that opens the rocking part of the song.
Despite the fact that Kiwanuka had a new album coming out in a couple of months, they only played one song from it, the single Floating Parade which is smooth and gorgeous.
I wasn’t sure how many songs I’d know at this show, but I didn’t really mind because I like his vibe so much I knew I’d enjoy everything. So I was secretly pleased that the bulk of the material came from Kiwanuka, the album I know well. I was frankly delighted by how many songs I knew.
For Solid Ground, Michael sat at the keys and played the moody soulful song. I love the way the backing band slowly built the song up to it full glory.
The final two songs were from Love & Hate and wrapped up the show really nicely. Especially the way the song Love & Hate stretched out into a full on jam until after almost ten minutes, the band stopped playing and singing until it was just Michael and his guitar.
Since it was a double headline show that meant that his set would be shorter than it might be (roughly an hour). Normally that bums me out, but I felt like I got so much out of this show. I loved every song, and I really enjoyed being so close to him. It was one of those shows where I forgot that there were thousands of people behind me. I hope he comes back again soon.
- Hard to Say Goodbye ⊄
- You Ain’t the Problem ⊄
- Rolling ⊄
- Father’s Child ♦
- Black Man in a White World ♦
- Rule the World ♦
- Hero (intro) ⊄
- Hero ⊄
- Floating Parade §
- Light ⊄
- Final Days ⊄
- Solid Ground ⊄
- Cold Little Heart ♦
- Love & Hate ♦
♦ Love & Hate (2016)
⊄ KIWANUKA (2019)
§ Small Changes (2024)
I Just Read About That... 
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