An Inside Look : Mico, The Internet Hometown Hero takes over NYC

People come from all parts of the world, travel miles, and save endlessly just to set their feet in the powerhouse of media known as New York City. One thing that the city never runs out of is concert venues filled with artists sharing their voices in music. I witnessed one of those moments when Toronto native Mico took the iconic Le Poisson Rouge in NoHo and made the night unforgettable for his just-released EP titled "Internet Hometown Hero."

I was there early and spent the whole day with Mico and his crew getting ready for the show, from soundcheck to meet-and-greets and merch signing, among other things. One of the first things I noticed was the line of fans; some came as much as five hours before the doors opened, dressed in full costume, ready to see their favorite artist. By the time the doors opened, the line stretched across four NYC blocks.

It began with the fans in the VIP/Meet-and-Greet category, actually beaming with pride as Mico entered to greet each and every one of them. The vibe in there was just super, as he really connected with the fans at a personal level, taking the time to listen to their stories. He made sure everyone left with something special, be it a signed piece of merch or even a photo to commemorate such a moment.

As the rest of the crowd started to arrive, the floor disappeared under an onslaught of fans, each doing their absolute best to be as close to the stage as humanly possible. In no time, the crowd was screaming with excitement as the talented opener Haiden Henderson took to the stage to warm things up. Mico even surprised the crowd via cameo appearance during Haiden's set, blasting him with a unicorn-themed Nerf gun.

As the crowd became electric in anticipation, Mico's band took the stage to make sure everything was ready and in working order before the star himself exploded onto it. The room erupted with energy as Mico dove headfirst into "TV," the opening track on Internet Hometown Hero. It hit me-how passionately the audience could sing along despite this EP's release that very day. From the get-go, it was evident there was something unique going on between Mico and the fans.

Mico played the entire EP in order, with the crowd enthralled from the jump, bouncing and dancing along. One of Mico's signatures includes playing a game with the audience whereby the point of the game is not to think about the game—a playful challenge many fans tried their hand at by holding their phones aloft to distract him.

Mico also made sure to incorporate an exhibit of his musical talents throughout, picking up his guitar to strum along with the rest of the band as he sang. He didn't forget to make his fans feel special, either-there were guitar picks tossed out into the crowd randomly, a replay of "glhf<3" after the close, because it was demanded, and compliments on everyone's costumes all night.

The funny moment came when Mico announced that he would need a bathroom break, and thus Haiden was left to fiddle with the crowd. Minutes afterward, Mico and his band came back onto the stage, all dressed in Scooby-Doo costumes, which created surprise among the audience.

As the night went on, Mico really appeared to take in every single minute: singing along and dancing with his fans, his face reddening with pleasure. At one point, Haiden came back out for a duet, and the two covered "Gotta Go My Own Way" from High School Musical; an infectious singalong cascaded throughout the venue.

By the time he got to "Cut My Hair," the one the audience had been begging for all night, the whole crowd was singing every word along with him, much more often louder than Mico himself. Fatigue didn't stop Mico from giving it his all and jumping, dancing without skipping a beat. His microphone pack fell out of its harness twice due to all the movement, but he hardly noticed, completely locked into the performance.

Mico went back on stage after having been off for a little while, then encored "Another Soul," giving way to the last spirited representation of his night. Then he took a bow with the band and gave respects to the crowd.

Concerts galore, and a load of live music is heard by me, but for sure, this will stick in memory, just as it will to every last person who packed Le Poisson Rouge that night.