As soon as Machine Gun Kelly took the PlayStation Theater stage, his presence was met with a raucous response from dedicated fans. He kicked off his “Hotel Diablo World Tour” stop in New York with “Habits,” which had an autobiographical vibe to it that instantly lured his audience in his set, and it was followed by the new tune “El Diablo.”
His infectious single, the liberating “I Think I’m OKAY” earned him favorable feedback from the fans, and rightfully so. The lyrics displayed on the screen behind him during this performance, as he accompanied himself on electric guitar. “Hollywood Whore,” which he released last month, was another autobiographical tune that Machine Gun Kelly nailed.
He continued with “Let You Go,” “Trap Paris” and “Candy.” One of the highlight moments in his show was when he belted out the 1983 Mötley Crüe classic “Shout at the Devil,” where he tipped his hat to the iconic heavy metal band. This was very fitting since Machine Gun Kelly portrayed drummer Tommy Lee in the Netflix film, The Dirt.
Other well-received songs included “Rap Devil,” the spitfire “Till I Die,” as well as “Golden God,” which was quite a mouthful. It was great to hear him perform material from his latest studio offering, Binge, such as “Lately,” ” the rebellious “GTS” and “Loco.”
He was not afraid to be bold yet vituperative on “Bad Mother F****r,” while the hip-hop tune “Wake + Bake” had an eerie vibe to it. Of course, no Machine Gun Kelly is complete without the melodic “Rehab,” which ironically enough, is this journalist’s personal favorite song in his catalog.
Machine Gun Kelly concluded his high-octane show with “27” and returned for an encore of “Sail,” which was a great way to close his elaborate set.
His latest single “I Think I’m OKAY,” featuring YUNGBLUD and Travis Barker, is available on iTunes.
The Verdict
Overall, Machine Gun Kelly was able to put on an electrifying show at the PlayStation Theater in New York City. He commanded the stage exceptionally well and he had the Times Square audience with him every step of the way. This rapper and multifaceted entertainer is worth seeing live whenever he comes to town. His badass live set garnered an A rating.
To learn more about Machine Gun Kelly and his tour dates, check out his official website.
