Inside The Ingrid Michaelson Concert That Taylor Swift Called “Magical”

By Meghan O'Keefe

April 17, 2014 / 2:00 PM

ingrid michaelson

taylor swift ingrid michaelson

Usually, when a concert is touted as "intimate" or "special," it's neither of those things, but Ingrid Michaelson's concert at the Chapel in Green-Wood Cemetery last night was so special, so intimate and so lovely that even Taylor Swift was compelled to tweet out that it was "magical." Michaelson charmed a small chapel full of fans with songs from her new album, Lights Out, and played "moldy oldies" like "The Way I Am." Oh, and we were there.

Ingrid Michaelson first wooed us back in 2007 with her winsome love song, "The Way I Am" and now she's back with a brand new album, Lights Out, and a new single, "Girls Chase Boys," which she recently played on VH1's Big Morning Buzz Live.

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Michaelson's venue last night was a wee bit smaller and cozier than our Times Square studio. The Chapel at Green-Wood Cemetary in Brooklyn isn't usually used as a concert venue, but Michaelson got the idea when her brother introduced her to the location. The Chapel is a gorgeous marble structure that was designed by the same architects who created Grand Central Terminal and boasted only five rows of pews, so seating was limited and the audience was small.

Given that it was such a small venue, everyone noticed when Taylor Swift snuck into the back pew. She sat next to Law & Order: SVU star Mariska Hargitay and sang along with Michaelson's other fans. Swift left the show in a rush, but clearly liked it as she tweeted about it later.

Michaelson opened with her breathtaking new song,"Home," and later played new songs like "Time Machine" and "Afterlife." She also performed favorites from her catalog and did covers of "Skinny Love" and "Over The Rainbow" for her encore. Michaelson's voice was in spectacular form and the only sound bobble was when she had to retune her ukelele midway through the encore (which made it more of an endearing moment than anything else). Throughout the show, Michaelson joked with the audience and lauded her band. She gave shout outs to friends and stayed after the concert to meet and mingle with fans who had pledged money to get into the private event. City Winery provided custom bottles for the event and after the show Baked By Melissa cupcakes were passed around.

Ingrid Michaelson's Lights Out is available for download or purchase now.

[Photo Credit: Instagram Users @ryeisenberg & @megsokay]