R&B artist Miguel delivered a night of enjoyment and romance to a sold-out crowd Saturday evening. 

The almost two-hour concert, held at Byline Bank Aragon Ballroom in Chicago, was a part of the artist’s “CAOS” Tour, which began Feb. 10 in Atlanta.

Miguel set the concert’s tone before even setting foot on stage. He opened with “Perderme,” singing the song offstage while red strobe lights pulsated. When the singer appeared during “The Killing,” he did so in style: standing atop an overturned dark gray car. 

While the set was simple overall, there was another eye-catching visual on stage aside from the performer himself: a huge Ozian-like head that periodically chimed in with sage advice. 

Both props added tremendously to the concert’s intimate yet grand atmosphere. The car, in particular, played a dual role — it served not only as a central prop on stage, but also as the background for a political statement about federal immigration policies. 

After the first part of the concert, Miguel brought out a can of spray paint and graffitied “ICE OUT” on the car, encouraging the audience to chant the phrase alongside him.

Miguel also gave a short speech, paying homage to his African American and Mexican heritage [cq][cq] and the influence family members on both sides have had on him and his view of his culture. 

Hearing Miguel comment on both personal and political issues was a powerful and sobering moment in an otherwise more laid-back concert experience. 

The setlist was another of the concert’s strengths. Miguel’s debut album, “All I Want Is You,” released in 2010, is my favorite project of his. I feared, given how long ago the album was released, that many songs would not be featured in his performance. 

However, Miguel did an excellent job representing his expansive discography as best he could within a 25-song setlist. No album felt over- or underrepresented, and I commend Miguel for his ability to achieve a near-perfect equilibrium when he has so many prominent songs. 

The songs chosen further served as vessels for the singer to show off his unbelievable range. He hit several notes that I didn’t even know were humanly possible, and he is by far one of the best vocalists I’ve had the pleasure of seeing. Sometimes, as he sang, all I could do was stand in shock and awe. 

The crowd also seemed to be satisfied with the artist’s setlist choices. Miguel applauded his audience for being one of his favorite stops so far, and this comes as no surprise. 

It was obvious that many attendees had been counting down the seconds until Miguel toured again, and they showed up more than prepared. 

During “How Many Drinks?,” I realized just how much this crowd adored the artist. The cheers when the song’s instrumental began were ear-splitting, and as Miguel sang, there were moments where the crowd’s fervent singing drowned him out. 

Noticing how much fun the crowd was having, Miguel employed engaging mechanisms, including call-and-response riffs and short stints of entertaining dancing. 

Miguel’s positive and light-hearted attitude was infectious, and by the time he closed the concert with his most-streamed song, “Sure Thing,” there was not a frowning face in the crowd. 

The “CAOS” Tour proved anything but. Miguel put on a performance rife with otherworldly vocals, a simple yet powerful set and a sound setlist. His intricacy and dedication to curating all of these details were justly rewarded with an overjoyed audience, myself included.   

Email: [email protected] 

Related Stories:

— Northwestern Jazz Orchestra pays tribute to Miles Davis for Black History Month

— Playboi Carti ignites United Center on ‘Antagonist’ Tour

— Oasis delivers a supersonic performance well worth the 17-year wait