Hope Finds a Home in Manchester: Michael Marcagi and Evan Honer Light Up Academy 2
Academy 2, Manchester, England | February 20, 2026
Written by Anna Louise Jones| Cover image by Sam McGill
Manchester is well-known for its bustling music community, and today is no exception.
Academy 2 has perfectly embodied this energy, a room filled with friends, couples, and families, with a queue forming at the bar.
Evan Honer stepped onto the stage, quieting the swell, and opened with ‘Nowhere Fast’; from the first line, the crowd were already hooked on him. A sea of voices grew louder as the song swelled toward its end, a rare sight for an opener - especially one over 5,000 miles from home. His storytelling felt raw but never forced, his vocals smooth enough to carry even the heaviest lines lightly. Cheers between songs suggested a following that had been waiting for this very moment. On ‘Lose A Friend’, his range stretched cleanly, before he broke the intensity with a playful jab at headliner Michael Marcagi - “I hate that guy so much… no, he’s genuinely one of the nicest people I’ve met.”
The acoustic setting suited him; songs like ‘Everything I Wanted’ felt steeped in nostalgia, while the gentler confessions of ‘Me, Without You’ landed like a diary entry cut short. He sang Happy Birthday to a fan named Lucy in the crowd, joked about losing his suitcase in Portugal, and teased the audience by pausing mid-line in ‘Foolin’ Ourselves’, letting them fill in the words themselves.
By the time he reached ‘IDK Shit About Cars, ’ much of the room had taken over the chorus, the final refrain erupting into cheers. He closed with a backflip and a grin, leaving behind a crowd not just warmed up, but won over.
Marcagi’s arrival was a flare shot into the sky.
The stage flooded with a warm, bright red glow, smoke curling at the edges, and as he started with ‘The Other Side’, the lyric “I’ll find my way out & never look back” ringing out, the atmosphere shifted instantly from intimate to expansive. From the first instrumental swell, it was transformative. ‘Keep Me Honest’ felt like an instant classic, the full band bringing new depth to songs that already carried weight on record. Live, they expanded - guitars soaring, keys shimmering with almost pointillist precision, drums pushing everything forward without overpowering. No one was hidden; each member occupied their space fully, the band feeling equal and intentional rather than hierarchical. Marcagi ensured none of his talented peers were pushed towards the back, a rare and heartwarming sight.
“There’s a lot of people here, and I’m very far away from home,” Marcagi admitted. “You guys have supported me more than even my own fucking hometown… I love every single person who’s shown up tonight.” Despite the scale of the room and streaming numbers in the millions, he still carried himself like a secret you want to share.
Songs like ‘Good Enough’ and ‘Follows You’ hit with defiant clarity, the crowd shouting lines back as if reclaiming them. ‘Don’t Include Me (American Dream)’ blossomed into something poised for ubiquity, while ‘Falling’ and ‘Loose Ends’ had arms swaying and voices rising in unison. A seamless transition by an incredible band into ‘Don't Look Back in Anger’ by Oasis drew a roar from the crowd, its chorus landing with particular poignancy. Manchester is no stranger to an Oasis cover, but this one was exceptionally good.
There was a moment, not tied to one song but to the cumulative force of them, where the show unfolded into something grander, an overwhelming wash of light, sound and shared voice that felt like standing inside hope. ‘Move On’ stood out as an emotional epitome; it resonated well with the crowd, relating with all ages - small children to grown adults. This is one of those concerts where, despite the troubling times around the world, it finds a way to convey messages of hope and unity. A moment of pure, soaring joy.
That joy flickered in ‘Unlocks Me,’ with lighting that framed each band member perfectly. The lighting was never monotone throughout the show, vibrant pinks, reds, yellows and greens with electric blues washing over at various points, silhouettes dissolving into colour and back again. The keys of ‘Anna Lee’ felt effulgent, and the lyrics of ‘In The Light’ felt like an echo of the era we live in.
Marcagi welcomed Honer back for ‘Humbling’, their voices threading together and a torrent of fun taking over. He speaks of his opener highly, noting the fun they’ve had on tour and asking the crowd to “support him in any way you can,” whether that be a follow on social media, streams of the music or a merchandise purchase at the end of the night.’I Should Know Better’ sent the entire room into motion, strangers singing side by side and guitars ringing like declarations. Marcagi jests at the state of the weather throughout the UK and parts of Europe as he tells us about his tour so far. They’re six weeks in, “I’ve seen the sun twice in those six weeks,” he laughed before introducing his band - Dillion Napier on drums, Joe Furlong on bass, Jacob Thomas Jr on keys and Kyle Miller on guitar.
‘Tear It All Apart’ saw children lifted onto shoulders at the back, trying their best to witness the magic happening on stage. Marcagi is a vocal powerhouse; the room was left in awe numerous times throughout the night. ‘Scared to Start’ surged through the venue, transitions seamless, it felt less like watching a performance and more like being carried by it. He ‘ended’ his set with ‘Midwest Kid’, a fan favourite.
Of course, it wouldn’t be a complete show without ‘Savannah’ and ‘Rock Steady’, the architecture for the perfect encore, causing people who had already left to linger from outside the doors and listen.
As the final notes faded and the lights dimmed, what lingered was the sense that, for a couple of hours at least, hope had found a home within the people of Manchester and well-travelled guests. Michael Marcagi is a force to be reckoned with, and a concert you definitely don't want to miss the next time he's in your area.
