August 15, 2021 9:45pm
Going to see Michael Mott & Friends on August 15 was the perfect example of why I love 54 Below so much as a venue. This is the type of show that I love going to 54 Below for; being in the audience the first time a new song is performed live, hearing the work as it was intended to be performed; seeing Broadway performers in an intimate setting, having them smile at you while they perform and getting to chat with them after the show. While I still miss the cheese plate from the old menu, I really love going to 54 Below as a venue for this type of experience in particular.
Michael Mott is an incredible performer, not only because he composes his own work, but he can play and sing just as well as many other performers. I’ve been privileged to support his albums in the past and I’ve loved everything he’s come out with in the last few years. He used the time in quarantine to put out a new concept piece and continued to work on revising his show In The Light (previously known as Faustus). I have loved hearing the evolution of some of the songs into their current state and experience the changes that have been made over the years. His recent concept album The Only One has been a favorite on my Spotify since it came out earlier this year, but getting to hear the full 20 minutes performed live was another experience entirely!
The setlist for the evening really tied the theme together for a Sunday night 9:45 PM concert and Mott did a great job of picking songs for this concert that were uplifting and motivating to help bring us out of these dark times. Not only did he have performers who showcased those songs perfectly, as it moved into some of his previous work, you could tell he worked with the performers to choose songs that showed off their strengths (and featured some of my favorites). Whether it was Lindsay Rider showing off her operatic pipes from In The Light or Matt Manuel bringing his fabulous riffs to “Cry For You,” all the performances were exactly what you would expect from Broadway performers. And Lindsay’s performance of “Single City” gave me a new favorite version of one of my all-time favorite songs. I also very much appreciated the choice to highlight the backup vocalists and allow them to have a moment to shine with a quartet performance of “Tomorrow Begins Today.” And having the entire audience sing along during “Get Up On My Feet” wasn’t something I realized I missed, but being part of that crowd instead of jamming by myself was such an emotional experience and what I love about live performances.
But my favorite thing about seeing a show at 54 Below is getting to say hello to all the performers and chat about their upcoming projects and what they’ve been working on while getting a little bit more backstory on some of the songs. This is exactly why this venue is so sought out because you don’t get this kind of interaction at the stage door or at a giant concert hall. This level of intimate performance is what makes this such a perfect venue and one of my favorites to go for concerts (and if you are also looking for a cheese plate replacement, I can confirm the burrata was fantastic)!
Do you have a favorite show at 54 Below that you’ve seen? Share with me in the comments! #EilishsTheaterExperiences #MichaelMottandFriends
Comments