Review: MACY GRAY LIVE AT THE FILLMORE MINNEAPOLIS at Fillmore Minneapolis

Macy Gray Brings Soul, Sass, and Surprises to the Fillmore Minneapolis. By the time Macy Gray walked onto the Fillmore stage Sunday night—draped in a sparkling shawl and grinning like she owned the room—the crowd was already buzzing. It wasn’t just anticipation. It was admiration. After 25 years, she’s still got that weird, wild magic that first made us lean in when On How Life Is dropped back in ‘99.

The show was technically part of her 25th anniversary tour for that album, but it never felt like a trip down memory lane. If anything, it was more like a reinterpretation of the past through Macy’s current lens—gritty, jazzy, unpredictable. Her voice—still unmistakably raspy, soulful, and a little left of center—was front and center from the opening notes of “Do Something,” and it never let go.

Of course, “I Try” was the big moment, landing midway through the set instead of closing it. Rather than the usual radio-polished rendition, Macy and her band slowed it down, laced it with upright bass and brushed drums, and let the emotion simmer. You could hear people sniffle in the crowd—no shame, just good old-fashioned feelings.

She didn’t talk much between songs, but when she did, it felt like eavesdropping on a late-night phone call. “They didn’t even want to release this record,” she said before launching into “Still,” laughing like she still can’t believe how far she’s come. That’s the thing about Macy Gray: she’s disarmingly real. There’s no filter. No polished stage persona. Just Macy.

The band deserves credit, too. Tight, jazzy, and willing to follow wherever she led. At one point, they stretched “Sex-O-Matic Venus Freak” into a funky, almost psychedelic jam, with Macy scatting like she was channeling Nina Simone at a smoky New York bar. And then, out of nowhere, she covered Radiohead’s “Creep”—yes, that “Creep”—and somehow turned it into a torch song. The crowd went silent, stunned, and then gave her the loudest ovation of the night.

She closed with a new song, “No One,” a breezy, island-tinged ballad that felt like the natural next chapter in her sound. It didn’t feel like a farewell—it felt like a beginning.

Was it a perfect show? Not really. Some transitions were a bit clunky, and there were moments where Macy seemed to drift off into her own head mid-song. But that’s part of the charm. She’s never been polished, never been predictable—and that’s exactly why she’s still worth seeing live after all these years.

Macy Gray didn’t just revisit the past at the Fillmore on Sunday night—she reshaped it, added layers, made it stranger and richer. And for the packed house of fans singing along to every word, that was more than enough.

Thank you Macy for a great night of music! We hope to have you back again soon!

Minneapolis / St. Paul Awards - Live Stats

Best Musical - Top 3

1. 9 TO 5: THE MUSICAL (Eagan Summer Theatre)

13.6% of votes

2. URINETOWN (Buffalo Community Theatre)

10.5% of votes

3. CHURCH BASEMENT LADIES (Rags to Rags Productions)

8.2% of votes

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