Machine Gun Kelly Brings Vulnerability and Love to Barclays Center

Review & photo by Crystal Li

On New York City’s first snowy night in 2025, Machine Gun Kelly brought his Lost Americana tour to Barclays Center. With over 30 songs on the setlist, the show spanned multiple genres, highlighting MGK’s versatility as an artist, featuring his best works in punk rock, pop, hip-hop, and country. 

The night started in a dramatic fashion, where MGK stood in a recreation of the Statue of Liberty with his guitar. He performed hits from the latest lost americana album, “outlaw overtune” and “star man”, before transitioning to a tribute to his pop-punk era with tracks from Tickets To My Downfall.

Perhaps the most impressive quality of the setlist was how MGK conveyed a wide range of emotions — love, grief, longing — throughout the night. He dedicated several songs to important people in his life: “lonely” to his father, “your name forever” to his close friend Luke "The Dingo" Trembath, and “play this when i’m gone” to his daughter, turning the arena into a deeply personal space. 

The highlight of the night for me was when MGK jumped to the B-stage and performed his new hiphop single WHO I WAS featuring NF. The moment was stripped down and intimate for an arena-level show — a tiny stage in the middle of the floor, a single source of light, and MGK rapping his heart out while holding a cigarette. In stark contrast to the loud, unapologetic Americana aesthetic of the main set, the performance offered a glimpse into his upcoming hip-hop album and underscored the emotional range that defined the night.