A long, long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away (although I may have been in Midtown Manhattan at the time), I logged in to a pre-sale queue for tickets to see Kacey Musgraves on her Deeper Well tour. I’d seen Kacey twice before: once at the legendary Apollo Theater (nosebleed seats) and another time at Radio City Music Hall (in the mezzanine but it felt like I was a mile away from the stage). As I watched a buffering bar tell me I was 10,098 spots away from selecting tickets, I recalled how much I enjoyed my past two experiences seeing her perform, my heart warmed by recollections of her distinctive, funny stage banter and perfect-pitch voice despite experiencing ongoing PTSD from the Biggest Ticketmaster Fiasco of the 21^st Century (the Eras Tour).

Somehow, I managed to snag two tickets just five rows from the floor at her Barclays Center show on November 16, 2024. Although I had been listening to Deeper Well on repeat (and you’ll be reminded of how much I loved it by reading my review of the album), it eventually recessed into the background as other albums cycled into its place, namely TTPD Anthology, which continues to be on repeat in my car to this very day (that is, about seven months after it was released).

Last night, I made my way out to Brooklyn for Kacey’s show, and before trekking to the Barclays Center, my friend and I had dinner at the OG Miti Miti in Park Slope.

So, reader, you’re in for a treat, as this review is of both the Deeper Well show and dinner, making it the ultimate Taylor’s Ham post (and, believe it or not, the first of its kind). As a heads up, Taylor Swift was not at the Barclays Center, though I’ve mentioned her in this introduction, so I believe we can agree I’ve ticked all the TH boxes.

The OG Miti Miti

I’ve long been a fan of Miti Miti in South Orange, NJ. They serve up no-frills Latin street food in a tiny space where the only seating is in a random not-quite-climate-controlled tent in a vast municipal parking lot. For the SOMA crowd, did you know Miti Miti got its start in Park Slope, Brooklyn? And that, at this location, you can eat … inside?

My friend got to Miti Miti before I did, so set us up at the bar, as there was a 20-minute wait for a table, despite it being 6:15 pm. As soon as I walked in, I knew this was the right choice because they were playing Kacey’s body of work on shuffle.

The space itself is a little narrow, though they make great use of it, plugging in modular tables for two and four in all crevices at the front and back of the restaurant. The bar holds about 10 people and all other seats were taken when I arrived. When you enter, you’ll be immediately encouraged to smile, given the vibrant colorways saturating the space.

The OG Miti Miti has a liquor license (and it’s no surprise SOMA’s doesn’t given the antediluvian liquor license situation in NJ), and had a pretty solid roster of drinks to choose from. My friend demurred at the suggestion of a margarita, and I don’t drink, so she got a horchata – a conversation piece for patrons a few seats down – and I asked for an iced tea, which turned into a lemonade.

The OG Miti Miti and South Orange Miti Miti menus have almost 100% overlap, although I noticed the OG Miti Miti has a few more bowl-like options.

We opted for the Miti nachos and tacos for our meal, and a server brought everything out at once.

OK, so, nachos are my favorite food of all time, and the Miti nachos do not disappoint (much like their SOMA counterpart). Crisp tortilla chips are layered with jack cheese, beans, jalapenos, pico de gallo, and more. Although I tend to order nachos almost everywhere that will make them for me, I am often disappointed when the restaurant takes little care to apply toppings throughout the layers. I can assure you that Miti Miti is an advanced nachos artisan, ensuring ample cheese, beans, and flair extraordinaire are abundant no matter where you are in the pile. Getting a little bit of all the trappings in one bite is a personal achievement whenever it happens, and I’m pleased to say it’s an outstanding experience when done at Miti Miti.

Like its South Orange location, the OG Miti Miti offers an array of street tacos, ranging from carne asada through a handful of vegan options. There is literally something for everyone and Miti Miti never skimps on the filling; the corn tortillas are chocked to the brim, making them delectable to experience and of great value. You can opt for tacos a la carte (as I did) or get a few and a side of rice and beans (as my friend did).

We both ordered the green goddess taco, a vegan option which I’d never had before. It was packed with roasted Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, crispy kale, mushrooms, jalapeno hummus (OMG!), and salsa verde. This is a must-try at Miti Miti (no matter which location you’re at).

For my second taco, I got the lobster taco, which appeared as a standard on the OG Miti Miti menu but sounds like a special in South Orange. The hard corn tortilla shell was filled with lobster pieces and avocado. What a delight.

My friend really enjoyed her other taco, which was the cauliflower al pastor one – I’ve had it, it’s a winner. She only picked at the rice and beans, which may be consistent with what I see with other diners at the South Orange location. We’ve found the beans are inconsistently seasoned at the SO stop.

I noticed there are like five million restaurants on Fifth Avenue in Park Slope now. Though you certainly have options in the ‘hood, do stop by the OG Miti Miti for delicious fare, a lively ambiance, and an efficient experience.

Deeper Well Show

Based on Instagram posts, I had noticed that Kacey was coming on around 9:30 at her shows, so I thought we might arrive at Barclays a little after the show started, just so we wouldn’t be hanging around for a really long time before she performed.

I am so glad we got there early! The opening acts were Nickel Creek and Lord Huron, both of whom I’d never heard of before.

We arrived a few minutes in to Nickel Creek’s set, and I was entranced as soon as we sat down. The quartet is made up of a fiddler, a guitarist, a bass player, and a lead singer who lends his talents to everything from the mandolin to the banjo. Their layered harmonies and bluegrass vibe created an original, exciting sound. Upon embarking on a new song, the lead singer assured us that the next song they’d play is the best song (even if subjectivity usually rules when it comes to art); the song was “Toxic” by Britney Spears and a revelatory experience to hear in a lo-fi, acoustic manner. I turned to my friend and said, “How long do you think they’ve been playing together?” She didn’t respond. About 10 minutes after their set ended, she said, “Oh yeah I’ve been listening to them since 2004.” What a dumb question (???).

After a break, Lord Huron came on, and I was struck by how many band members there were (5 (?), with one woman represented, and 3 playing a guitar). They have a very high-energy, wall-of-sound situation going on and I absolutely *loved* it. I quickly added their albums to my Apple Music library mid-way through their set.

Kacey came on around 9:30, wearing a beautiful apple green mini dress. It appeared she was wearing sparkly, long gloves, which was a feat considering she was also playing guitar for much of the show. The opener was “Cardinal,” which I knew instantly from one note. After the song ended, she walked up the side of a large mound at the center of the stage and was suddenly suspended in air. An interesting way to open a show.

Over the course of 90 minutes – the amount of time for the show, which she noted several times in her introductory words (in contrast to 3.5 hours?) – Kacey drew mostly from Deeper Well and Golden Hour, with no representation from Pageant Material (one of my favorite albums of hers). In fact, according to my tally, she played all of Golden Hour – even ending the show with “Rainbow,” a song all of us need right now more than ever – but for about three songs, leading me to wonder why the tour wasn’t called “A Golden Hour in the Deeper Well” or similar.

Most of the show took place on the stage at the front of the venue, and she walked back to a B stage near the center of the floor for several acoustic songs. Among them was “Follow Your Arrow,” which was slowed down and stripped bare in a way I had never heard before; a truly magnificent rendition. She also played “The Architect” from the B Stage, on her own with just her guitar to support the underlying framework of the song, and it was among my favorite moments of the show. I loved the introduction she did for “The Architect,” in which she provided visibility into her songwriting process. She mentioned she had had “the title” in mind for a really long time, which I loved to hear, since I take a similar approach at times with writing, especially poems. A word, a turn of phrase: sometimes these become the scaffolding to construct a work around.

Unlike many live shows I’ve been to, I was – once again – summarily impressed by the quality of Kacey’s voice in a live setting. She comes across as ethereal and precise on her records, and her live performances match such acumen exactly. Although it’s long been customary across her albums (perhaps with the exception of Deeper Well) for her to take the chorus in a few melodic directions, she stuck to one path every time it came around on most songs. At times, she added flourishes to the songs we all know so well, conjuring even greater admiration among the audience for her vocal talent.

These days, it takes a lot for me to go to Brooklyn, on a Saturday night, with the prospect of getting home after 1 am. Yet, I know I’d do it again in a heartbeat if Kacey comes around on her next tour. In my review of Deeper Well, I mentioned I routinely wonder, “When is Kacey Musgraves coming out with another album?” After seeing her live again, I know I’ll soon be wondering when she’ll show up for another show in the near future.