Live Review: mgk + Wiz Khalifa + BEAUTY SCHOOL DROPOUT @ Lakewood Amphitheatre, Atlanta - May 29th, 2026

20 hours ago
4 min read

Sunglasses-clad singer performs onstage before a giant inflatable statue as flames shoot up at left. — mgk photo by Anna Daugherty

A rainy night in Atlanta didn't stop mgk from bringing the house down at Lakewood Amphitheatre. It was a stacked setlist, packed with flashy pyrotechnics, heavy crowd interaction, surprise special guests, and a sonic journey through the different eras of Colson Baker, better known as mgk.

The night began strong with the rock melodies of BEAUTY SCHOOL DROPOUT. Bassist Brent "Beepus" Burdett and guitarist Bardo Novotny ran rampant across the stage, engaging as many individual audience members as possible, while the rhythm section was held down by the precise, driving drums of Colton Flurry. Fronted by the rockstar energy and vocals of Cole "Colie" Hutzler, their upbeat, alt-rock performance served as the perfect complement to the genre-bending rock elements of the night's headliner.

Singer with curly hair sings into a microphone onstage while a tattooed guitarist plays beside him under warm stage lights. — BEAUTY SCHOOL DROPOUT photo by Anna Daugherty

Next up was Wiz Khalifa, who sauntered out smoking, staying perfectly on-brand and instantly establishing a relaxed, feel-good vibe across the venue. He commanded the stage with an effortless swagger, rapping in perfect time while his longtime hype man and fellow rapper Chevy Woods backed him up flawlessly. The crowd tapped into the wavelength immediately, going especially hard for his massive anthem "Black and Yellow," and his myriad of other smash hits. Wiz proved to be an excellent touring partner, as the audience's familiarity with his catalog and love of hip-hop primed them for mgk’s rap segments.

Tattooed man in black beanie exhales smoke on a dark blue stage; Liquid Death cans sit nearby. — Wiz Khalifa photo by Anna Daugherty

Between sets, a massive red curtain was set up to obscure the production. When mgk finally hit the stage, that curtain dropped to reveal a massive, smoking Statue of Liberty head, erupting alongside a burst of pyrotechnics and explosive choreography from mgk, his band, and his dancers for "FIX UR FACE." Keeping the audience on their toes, mgk then called for his guitar, which descended dramatically from the ceiling, and a custom cigarette-shaped mic stand was brought out as he leaned heavily into the rock instrumentation of "outlaw overture." The energy remained high, and the audience sang along enthusiastically to every word as each new song came along.

Rock band performs on a dark stage; singer raises both arms under teal and red lights, with a giant hand and cigarette backdrop. — mgk photo by Anna Daugherty

The set had several memorable moments of crowd work. Spotting a young kid dressed like him perched on top of someone's shoulders, mgk invited him up onstage to dance alongside him. Later, noticing a couple holding up a gender reveal sign, Baker took their envelope mid-set and announced to the entire amphitheatre that they were expecting a boy.

Two performers on a lit concert stage, arms outstretched, with a bright orange screen and band gear behind them. — mgk photo by Anna Daugherty

Baker then brought Wiz Khalifa back out to pivot the night into a dedicated rap segment, tearing through a run of tracks from their recent collaborative album, Blog Era Boyz, including the live debut of their song, "mph," before capping off the reunion with their OG classic "Mind of a Stoner."

Video interludes separated the show's acts, giving mgk time to swap into new outfits while providing a running commentary on how his music has shifted genres over the last 15 years. This conceptual framing added an engaging layer to the production, ensuring you never quite knew what stylistic left turn was coming next. At one point, he delivered a cover of The Killers' "Mr. Brightside" backed by a live cellist. The next moment, he swung back into the pop-punk energy with "bloody valentine," bringing a crowd of fans onto the stage to dance to be his "bloody valentines." He also went down through the venue to reach a B-stage, stripping things down acoustically for an intimate performance of "times of my life," and there was another vulnerable moment of reflection dedicated to his daughters with "play this when i'm gone." He later brought BEAUTY SCHOOL DROPOUT's Colie Hutzler back out to share the mic for "papercuts."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oY0F84RRMLI

mgk & Wiz Khalifa - mph (Official Music Video)

Right towards the end, mgk took a poignant moment to shout out his first manager, Dante, who was present in the venue, before closing out the night with a barrage of hits. Complete with confetti, coordinated dancing, and infectious energy, the show ended with a massive bang. It was certainly a night to remember.