Killer Mike Shows His 'Michael' Side At Intimate Promontory Lollapalooza Aftershow

Would it be stating the obvious to say that Killer Mike has some serious momentum right now?

Last summer he dropped Michael, his first solo album since 2012's legendary R.A.P. Music, to universal acclaim. He followed that up with a late-summer tour barnstorming across the country celebrating a decade of his rap duo Run The Jewels. In February, Michael won a trio of Grammys including Best Rap Album. Instead of kicking up his feet and taking a well-deserved break, he's been on the Down By Law tour, mixing stand-alone shows with appearances at festivals from Newport Folk Fest to Ottawa Blues Fest. Did I mention that he also dropped a new album last week (Michael & The Mighty Midnight Revival, Songs For Sinners And Saints)?

Last weekend, Killer Mike was booked for a coveted late Saturday slot at Lollapalooza here in Chicago. Not only that, but he was slated for an aftershow on Saturday night as well, a surprising show of stamina considering most acts schedule their aftrershows for the night before or day after their proper festival performance. And while most festival aftershows offer almost the exact opposite experience as an artist's festival appearance (smaller, intimate venues with the appropriate amount of people in the crowd, bathrooms available, etc), this aftershow was the extreme.

Held at The Promontory on the south side of Chicago, the atmosphere was the perfect setting for an intimate experience. The space was modern and clean with great sightlines and easily accessible bathrooms and bars. Did I mention that it only holds about 300 concertgoers? The only way you're going to get more up close and personal with a reigning Grammy winner would be to somehow get them into your living room. And believe me, I am nowhere near ready for Killer Mike to see my living room.

Being the opening act for a summer festival aftershow, especially after the third consecutive HOT and humid day, can sometimes be an impossible task. Festivalgoers can be exhausted. Sometimes it can take some time to get from Grant Park to the venue where the show is and crowds can be thin when the set kicks off. It can sometimes take a force of nature to perk everyone back up and command their attention from the get-go, and fortunately Killer Mike had one in his back pocket as an opener.

Chicago/Houston rap duo Mother Nature (Shasta Matthew and Tierney Reed, a.k.a. Klevah and TRUTH) proved to be more than up to the task. You wouldn't think that messages of elevating your thinking, promoting self-discovery, and drilling down to what's 'real' would mix so well with beats and flow that wouldn't sound out of place in a club with dozens of able-bodied young people shaking their asses to. But that's what the duo bring to the table, surrounded by what seemed like a collective of other rap artists and a DJ like a modern Greek chorus ready to chime in with anything that was necessary, from a simple bar or two to keep a song going to a full-fledged takeover of the stage that even extended the celebration into the audience.

Having seen Killer Mike in Run The Jewels a handful of times over the last decade, I'm used to the persona he has on their songs. The in-your-face delivery. The brash middle finger behind every word spit into the face of authority. What we got just past midnight was a different Killer Mike taking the stage: one of all smiles and seemingly in a great, laid back mood. Instead of his Run The Jewels partner El-P at his side, he was backed by the aforementioned Mighty Midnight Revival, a soul-singing quintet meant to replace spitfire with some Atlanta gospel. Considering Revival's involvement in the new album and the fact that it had been out for less than 48 hours, you would think Mike would have gone with a setlist heavy on new material, but he decided to give those who braved this late of an hour a real treat: he performed all of Michael front to back with a handful of hits and covers interspersed throughout.

That's right. The current Best Rap Album performed in its entirety to what was most likely the smallest audience Killer Mike has performed in front of in...decades? Lollapalooza, you spoil us.

Anyone who questioned if the magic that was captured in the album would translate live, especially stripped of all the featured artists that appeared on the album (like Andre 3000, 2 Chainz, and CeeLo Green) was quickly answered with a rousing rendition of 'DOWN BY LAW' which had just as much urgency without Green's falsetto present. Similarly, hits like 'SCIENTISTS & ENGINEERS' and 'DON'T LET THE DEVIL' worked just as well as solo performances. And having The Mighty Midnight Revival as a backing group served to elevate so much of the material on Michael in this live setting. With the album inspired by and being an homage to southern gospel music, having a five-strong chorus of powerhouse voices resulted in the elevation of every track. Killer Mike has never had a problem raising hell in his rap career, but we're finding out now just how sweet the contrast can be when you drop a little church into that mix.

That's not to say that the Killer as we know him is completely gone. Mike took some well-timed breaks from Michael to drop crowd favorites like 'Reagan' and a cover of Big Boi's 'Kill Jill' for his hardcore and longtime fans. But decked out in all white and delving into the emotional depths covered in songs like 'SOMETHING FOR JUNKIES' and 'MOTHERLESS' backed by a church choir and taking mid-set breaks to talk to the audience about everything from the story of Solomon to his pro-choice leanings ("I think you should support people who think that at the local and state and national level and vote for them and that's what I have to say about that."), it's easy to see the evolution of an artist before your very eyes. There's still Killer Mike, but those hard edges can be worn down sometimes and you see more and more of Michael Render, husband, father, man of God, peking through.

If nothing else, this performance showed that there's room for both at once and they make a hell of a combination.

Killer Mike's Down By Law Tour continues through mid October with the following dates:

08-07 Denver, CO - Ogden Theatre
08-08 Salt Lake City, UT - Ogden Amphitheatre
08-10 Seattle, WA - Thing Festival
09-29 St. Louis, MO - Evolution Festival
10-15 Los Angeles, CA - The Novo

Killer Mike Lollapalooza Aftershow Setlist - The Promontory 8.3.24

DOWN BY LAW
SHED TEARS
RUN
NRICH
TALK'N THAT SHIT!
SLUMMER
SCIENTISTS & ENGINEERS
TWO DAYS
Kryptonite (I'm on It)
Kill Jill
Never Scared
SPACESHIP VIEWS
EXIT 9
Reagan
SOMETHING FOR JUNKIES
MOTHERLESS
DON'T THE DEVIL
Ric Flair
HIGH & HOLY
THANK YOU LORD