A Midwest Kid’s Dream: Michael Marcagi’s Unforgettable Night in Minneapolis
March 1st, 2025 - Minneapolis, MN
Nine months after playing the 250-person capacity venue, 7th St. Entry, Michael Marcagi returned to Minneapolis to play at the historic First Avenue on March 1st. Previously a member of the band The Heavy Hours, singer-songwriter Marcagi left to pursue his solo career and made the right decision.
Marcagi’s solo career took off in 2023 after releasing his first solo single “The Other Side.” After signing with Warner Records, his second single “Scared to Start” landed him on the Billboard Hot 100 thanks to the popularity it gained on TikTok. His music teems with nostalgia and relatable topics like imposter syndrome and taking risks.
With the night underway, Ashley Kutcher took the stage first. Like Marcagi, Kutcher’s last show in Minneapolis was at 7th St. Entry. I was introduced to Kutcher via my Discover Weekly on Spotify and was instantly hooked on her music, so seeing her open the show was something I was waiting for. Kutcher writes astonishingly open and relatable music centered around love, heartbreak, and dating. She played several songs from her most recent EP, Play Responsibly, such as “Plot Twist,” “How’s the Weather,” and “Plead.”
Kutcher’s humor between songs showed her personality, even thanking her Macbook Pro at the end of the set. She covered “Live Like You Were Dying” by Tim McGraw in the middle of her set which drew the crowd’s waning attention back to her. Kutcher ended her set with my favorite song by her, “Boy From Carolina.” Hearing her play that live made my entire night. By the end of her set, fans were ready to hear Marcagi.
Marcagi took the stage with a 4 piece band by his side. He came out all smiles and filled with gratitude for all the fans in the packed venue. Now past the halfway point of the tour, Marcagi was feeling all sorts of emotions. Starting with “Keep me Honest,” “Good Enough,” and “Holding Onto Something,” Marcagi grasped the crowd’s attention.
With only one EP out, American Romance, Marcagi mentioned only having around 9 solo songs out right now. This sudden rise to fame did not give him enough time to write and release more music before going on tour, but he still put on a show with 17 songs on the setlist and a little over 80 minutes. Using unreleased songs from his upcoming album and a cover of Harry Styles’, “Falling,” Marcagi put on a show well worth your time.
To me, Marcagi is a Midwestern Noah Kahan. Their music portrays this folk-indie sound and while they’re not the only two who write music like that, they both do it justice. Singing his most recent release, “Flyover State,” was where I heard the connection between the singers. The mandolin strumming appeared to have a similar pattern, and I was almost convinced he was covering “All My Love” instead of singing “Flyover State.”
Marcagi unofficially ended the show with “Scared to Start,” his most popular song on Spotify, before coming out for a two-song encore. The final two songs were “Midwest Kid” and “The Other Side.” I appreciated the homage to his first single being the closing song of the concert instead of his most popular song on Spotify.
Even though Marcagi is halfway done with the tour, he has a lot more performing left in him. Once he wraps up his solo tour, he’s opening for The Lumineers and Rainbow Kitten Surprise on their respective tours. I expect to hear more about Michael Marcagi as he dives deeper into his solo career.
