By Alex Woodard

Over 100 fans filled Mercury Ballroom for Who’s Bad: The Ultimate Michael Jackson Experience on Saturday, March 14.

The high-energy tribute celebrated the music and legacy of “The King of Pop,” Michael Jackson. The show recreated many of the signature elements that defined Jackson’s stage presence.

Founded in 2003, Who’s Bad: The Ultimate Michael Jackson Experience has spent more than 20 years performing tributes to Jackson’s music and live performances.

The band has performed more than 2,500 shows worldwide, touring across the United States, Europe and Asia.

Fronted by Taalib York’s vocals and choreography, the band recreates the energy of Michael Jackson’s legendary concerts with a full live band, detailed choreography and energetic stage production.

Fans celebrate the King of Pop

Audience members sang and danced along as the band performed big hits spanning from Jackson’s early years with the Jackson 5 to his solo career.

Lakena Kraft, a longtime Michael Jackson fan, said attending the tribute show felt like a must. “I’m a huge Michael Jackson fan, so I couldn’t miss the show,” Kraft said.

For Jace, a younger fan in attendance accompanied by his grandmother, Tina Philips, the night was an opportunity to see the music he enjoys online come to life. Philips laughed fondly as she described his excitement.

“He loves Michael Jackson, he watches it on YouTube all the time and he does his dances,” Philips said. “He just got done dancing for that dude up there”.

Longtime older fans and younger listeners like Jace joined to experience the show.

High-Energy performance that gets the crowd pumping

The frontman, York, led the band through a setlist packed with iconic songs and choreography. They played big hits like Beat it, Smooth Criminal, Billie Jean and Thriller.

Before performing Jackson 5 classics like I want you back, York asked the audience if they were ready for some Motown, reminding them “we are Jackson 5 tonight” and encouraging the audience to sing and dance along.

Saxophonist Aaron McCoy served as the unofficial hype man of the show and energized the audience throughout the night during transitions and especially before the encore performance Man in the Mirror.

McCoy asked the audience to shout “yeah/oh yeah” if they wanted one more song, which prompted the call-and-response chant “Michael! Michael! Michael!”
On multiple occasions during the show, he encouraged the audience to stand up on their feet and to “make some noise,” and keep the high energy going.

At the Encore, York shared a heartfelt reflection.

“We’re ending the night in the way Michael would’ve wanted us to. I hope you all go home remembering this as a tribute to Michael, a tribute to us and a reminder to take accountability, starting with the person in the mirror.”

Audience members joined McCoy in waving their phone flashlights to the encore.

The performance included many of Jackson’s signature elements such as moonwalking, hat tipping and the universally recognizable Thriller dance.