Miguel is back at Drai’s. The San Pedro-born singer and songwriter first performed there in late summer 2015, hot on the heels of third album Wildheart, an acclaimed mix of rock, soul, funk and R&B. He packed in plenty of new music in that lengthy, energetic Drai’s performance while also thrilling the hot summer crowd with past hits like “Adorn” and “Quickie.”
Miguel has kept busy in the two years since that record release, and not just performing on his own tour. He has popped up in some truly unique and unexpected collaborations, including on rock ballad “Estrella Fugaz” with Argentine duo Illya Kuryaki and the Valderramas. He was also recruited to join Mark Ronson and Rod Stewart on the A$AP Rocky track “Everyday.”
But perhaps his most notable recent endeavor was a collaboration with the camera. Miguel made his big-screen acting debut in January’s Live by Night, the Ben Affleck-helmed, Prohibition-era gangster flick, playing a cool Cuban businessman.
While he might pursue more acting roles in the future, Miguel says he “would actually prefer to stay away from playing musicians, because I’m a musician first and foremost,” he told Billboard. “The credibility in playing another musician is very hard to overcome. I want to take baby steps and challenge myself and grow as an actor in a way that is respected by the film community.” Miguel at Drai’s at the Cromwell, June 24.