Mika Strips Down For Intimate Gigs

The British singer/songwriter ventures forth accompanied only by a pianist and guitarist for a series of up-close-and-personal shows at intimate venues beginning in March. Starting date is March 22 in Vancouver, British Columbia, and fan club pre-sales launch this week.

Photo: AP Photo / MTI

Sziget Festival, Shipyard Island, Budapest, Hungary

Presenting stripped-down versions of his songs that he rearranged for this special outing, Mika will perform fan favorites as well as selections from his third and latest studio album, The Origin Of Love, released in 2012 on Republic.

Mika’s latest single, “Popular Song,” features Nickelodeon’s Ariana Grande and is a new take on “Popular” from Broadway’s “Wicked.” Evidently Mika is very excited about the song, mainly because composer Stephen Schwartz liked his performance of the tune so much that he authorized usage of his music for the first time ever.

The routing has Mika launching his tour in Vancouver March 22 and wrapping in Boston April 13. Cities hosting Mika for this special tour include San Francisco, Denver, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, New York City, Toronto and Salt Lake City.

March 22 – Vancouver, British Columbia, Venue
March 23 – Portland, Ore., Aladdin Theater
March 25 – San Francisco, Calif., Great American Music Hall
March 26 – Solana Beach, Calif., Belly Up Tavern
March 27 – Los Angeles, Calif., El Rey Theatre
March 29 – Las Vegas, Nev., Hard Rock Cafe On The Strip
March 30 – Salt Lake City, Utah, Club Sound
March 31 – Denver, Colo., Bluebird Theater
April 2 – Minneapolis, Minn., Varsity Theater
April 3 – Chicago, Ill., Lincoln Hall
April 5 – Toronto, Ontario, Opera House Concert Venue
April 6 – Montreal, Quebec, Virgin Mobile Corona Theatre
April 8 – Philadelphia, Pa., Union Transfer
April 9 – New York, N.Y ., Le Poisson Rouge
April 10 – Washington, D.C., Sixth & I Historic Synagogue
April 12 – Brooklyn, N.Y., Music Hall Of Williamsburg
April 13 – Boston, Mass., Royale Nightclub Boston