Ingrid Michaelson Concert Review: An Unassuming Star

Ingrid Michaelson is a star. An unassuming one at that. Her songs have been used as the soundtrack to countless television shows. Although she may not be an instantly recognizable musician, chances are you’ve hummed her songs once or twice without knowing it. The sell out audience at The Fillmore knew every lyric to those catchy songs and Michaelson instantly connected to every single one of them.

The set was divided between serious songwriter Michaelson and carefree Michaelson. The carefree version had conversations with the audience. The topics ranged from embarrassing moments on stage to care bears. Whether she was belting out the high notes to “Maybe,” or joking around with her band mates Michaelson was certainly genuine.

Michaelson has a strong voice and a great band. There’s no denying that. But the most entertaining moments of the show was when the band was forced to stand in their assigned positions, waiting for her to finish a story. These short intervals, that would start as a quick side note to lead into the next song, turned into orations about her daily life. All of it off the cuff and hilarious.

The biggest laugh came when Michaelson described her experience performing on a float at the Thanksgiving Day parade. Of course, the punch line, was Michaelson falling on live television. That instantly relatable personality not only makes her current fans life long devotees, it also hooks a whole new contingent. And makes her a great guest on Letterman too.

The night as a whole was memorable. Michaelson has been around for awhile and has amassed quite the following but she isn’t a superstar yet. The audience is young, because of the indie pop sound her singles have, so the show was wrapped up before eleven. But with a few more years of touring under her belt don’t be surprised to see Michaelson’s name on a marquee with the likes of Stevie Wonder. This is an artist that could be head lining large venues soon. Catch her in a club setting while it’s possible.