"Wildheart" Miguel funks up the Observatory

One of the best concert experiences is when you catch an artist at that pivotal moment when your gut tells you he or she is on the cusp of going Big Time. That’s how I felt at Miguel’s electrifying show at Observatory North Park.

Dressed in all white — from feathered leather to fringe jackets — and sporting glistening six-pack abs, the L.A.-based artist unleashed a nearly two-hour set of fired-up funk-rock and sexy slow jams.

Without a doubt, Miguel had the standing-room-only crowd under his spell the entire night. Featuring songs from his five-year discography, he played “Sure Thing” (2010’s All I Want Is You), the sadly abridged “Do You …” (2012’s Kaleidoscope Dream), and numerous tracks from his recently released third album, Wildheart, which I reviewed in these pages last week.

Amidst the high-energy performance, Miguel interlaced moments of reflection, espousing the importance of individuality and being true to yourself (the essence of “wildheart”). This was particularly poignant when the biracial artist introduced “What’s normal anyway?” and shared his struggles with fitting in as both Latino and African-American.

Miguel closed the show with the perfect three-song encore of his latest, buzz-worthy hit “Coffee,” an edgier version of “How Many Drinks?” — which incorporated Kendrick Lamar’s “Swimming Pools (Drank)” and had the singer attempting to crowd-surf twice (#fail) — and the Grammy-winning burner “Adorn.”

Beyond guitarist Dru Decaro’s birthday, it was a celebratory night — a celebration of free-flowing fringe, rock-hard abs, unbridled sexuality, inspired wildhearts…and the promise of what is sure to be an exciting future for Miguel.

• Concert: Miguel
• Seats: GA
• Date: September 1
• Venue: Observatory North Park