Last week, I was able to see Ingrid Michaelson perform some of her fan-favorite hits and never-before-performed new songs as the concluding concert for the 2016 Summer Fest concert series.

Absolutely free.

It was an incredible opportunity that (luckily?) not many people knew about. Tyson’s Corner Center had been holding a summer long concert series, featuring a variety of acts, from American Idol contestants to a “Kidz Bop” concert that I spotted on the schedule a while back. The grand finale was this performance by Ingrid Michaelson, who has a new album coming out soon and will be returning to DC for her tour in November. (I posted clips of her concert on my Snapchat if you saw ’em!)

Tommy McFly from 94.7 Fresh FM’s the Tommy Show was there to introduce her, so of course my friends and I got a kick out of seeing one of our radio DJs in person. (You never quite know what to expect just hearing their voices for several years!) He introduced Ingrid, who came out looking like… the cool girl that you wanted to be friends with and weren’t too intimidated to make it so. I’ve always liked her songs on the radio, but I never sought out listening to any of them, so I never paid her much mind.

But the girl can sing…

Her set for our intimate, hour-long concert included (not in order, with links to the music video if available):

• Be Ok
• Girls Chase Boys
• Home
• The Way I Am – This song put Ingrid on the map after it was featured in an Old Navy ad, as in it is the song wherein its release directly impacted record and concert sales. She still seemed so grateful all these years later that people who were unrelated to her would come see her perform thanks to this little song that she didn’t even slave away writing.
• Afterlife – Ingrid wrote this song in trying to put out her own strong anthem. It wound up being titled “Afterlife” though.
• Miss America – This was the first time that Ingrid and her trio-members performed the acoustic version of this song off her new album. It is a very upbeat anthem, but her “folk cover” of her own song was lovely.
• Hell No – In addition to the Snapchat filter video, Ingrid also released an ASL video for the lead single off her new album.
• Celebrate – Ingrid calls out her first kiss by first-and-last name. Why make up a name when you can get some closure on that boy from so many years ago?
• Creep – Her cover of this iconic Radiohead song was really incredible and demonstrated excellent vocal control. SO good.
  
• Parachute – I didn’t know Ingrid wrote this this Cheryl Cole hit but it was one of my favorite songs in college and I wish it had been a bigger hit in the US. I squealed in glee when I heard her start the song.
• Can’t Help Falling in Love – Her encore, which she let us know about ahead of time because there wasn’t actually a place for her to exit the stage. This song was the first dance song for a couple in the audience.

Ingrid is really charming and funny, and I enjoyed her show more than I thought I would. Plus, at the end, she noticed the Shake Shack (booooooo) and proclaimed that she wanted cheese fries. And then, the kind folks at Shake Shack brought her a whole tray of cheese fries!

It was a beautiful moment. She was so happy that she sang a love song to the fries before singing her encore.

I’m really glad I got to see Ingrid live (and for freeeee) and am definitely going to listen to more of her music. Super looking forward to her new album for sure!

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Ingrid Michaelson’s new album, It Doesn’t Have to Make Sense, comes out August 26 and is available for pre-order now.
The “Hell No Tour” begins October 6 in Cincinatti, Ohio, and arrives in DC at the Lincoln Theater November 21 and 22.

What’s your favorite Ingrid MIchaelson song?
Is it the same as your favorite Ingrid music video?