Last Night Coming Back With Power Power
posted by on November 17 at 19:17 PM
M.I.A. & Cool Kids @ Showbox Sodo
After her last Seattle show, opening for LCD Soundsystem two years ago (ok, not her last Seattle show, but the last time I went to a concert involving Gwen Stefani for the purpose of seeing the opening band was when the Faint opened for No Doubt at the Paramount [side note: Gwen Stefani picks kind of rad opening acts]), the conventional wisdom on M.I.A. was that her albums and artwork and fashion are all brilliant, but that her performances are kind of lukewarm. At that show, people seemed stoked enough to be finally seeing M.I.A. after scheduled Seattle debut at Chop Suey was cancelled months before that everyone was willing to forgive a not totally thrilling set (it wasn’t helped any by LCD Soundsystem’s overpowering live show). But her show last night erased any doubt—M.I.A. is the real fucking deal.
First, a few words about opening act Cool Kids. I called it American Apparel rap, Zwickel dubs it hipster hop, but under the gaudy dollar sign t-shirt aesthetic, it’s just good, old-fashioned party rap. So old-fashioned, in fact, that more than a couple people griped about how glaringly obvious all their ‘80s samples were (I didn’t actually spot anything, though, other than the lyrical drop “if your friends don’t then they’re no friends of mine”). They seemed fun, people who’d seen them before said they were good, but they were up against a big room and a slowly gathering but mostly apathetic crowd. Their attempts at a call and response resulted in their “whoo”s being answered by aweak, mostly inaudible “yeah”s, and a lot of their rhymes just got lost in the room. Someone said, “They seem really bored,” and it was hard to tell if the comment was directed at the band (who did seem a bit, well, cool) or the crowd. Their set ended suddenly, with no fanfare or goodbye, just the last song stopping. They seemed as awkward on that big stage as M.I.A. had been back at the Showbox, but I get the feelin they could rock a good party at a smaller venue like the War Room or Chop Suey.
After a too-long break, Low Budget finally took the stage behind the turntables, followed by white-spandex clad hype-girl Miss Cherry and then M.I.A., in frantic-patterned leggings and flat, oversized shades. M.I.A. owned the stage, exerting a cool confidence that was sorely lacking from her last Seattle appearance, and the crowd was stoked, dancing and pumping fists and screaming. Early hit “Sunshowers” started off a little weak, but Low Budget picked things up, dropping a new four four beat midway throught the song. “$20,” which sounds stoned and stunning on Kala came off a little weak live, but it was energized by this mixing in the synth beat from “Blue Monday” (from which “$20” takes it’s three note melody).
Later, the bass hits on “Bucky Done Gun” vibrated the whole hall, all the way back to the bar—it was some deep tissue sound waves. The sound was excellent throughout the set, and contrary to what I’d heard, the Showbox Sodo actually has a pretty nice ambiance for a room of it’s size and shape. For “Bird Flu,” M.I.A. pulled up the people, filling the stage with audience members—it was girls only at first (righteous shades of Bikini Kill), but a some dudes got in on the act (which I guess is also shades of Bikini Kill). The crowd held up lighters and cell phones for the woozy smash “Paper Planes,” some pointed finger pistols in the air for the gunshot-riddled chorus (for more in depth “Paper Planes” analysis, check here). On the video projection behind M.I.A. (which was a dazzling, techno-color explosion throughout the show), 8-bit neon paper planes flew and folded around paper rad Super Mario clouds. The song was a definite highlight from a thoroughly killer set. M.I.A. not only earned the sometimes dubious honor of most improved live show, she put on one of the best shows of the year period.
mia's last seattle show was actually opening for gwen stefani at key arena, but you are right, the performance was lukewarm. maybe if she were playing a cramped basement party...
Probably one of the best shows I've been to in my life. All the pics I've seen here are from the first 1/3 of the show. Everyone around me was covered in sweat and danced like crazy.
The sound kicked ass the visuals were second only to some of the daft punk stuff, but still held their own very much, and the girls (MIA, Cherry, other MC) totally slayed it.
Before she even left for the encore I was totally spent. I just stood there overwhelmed by what I was just a part of. She climbed all over the stage, did some FREAKYYYY dancing, and really put it out there for all of us.
hell ya! she brought it good.
the first half-hour was especially great, that giddy rush of just seeing MIA combined w some seriously badass beats to make for the "post-world" party that you mentioned in your story, eric. shes so freakin' NOW that its almost futuristic in a way, a glimpse at a global icon in the making. all the places shes traveled and the sounds and styles and people that have rubbed off on her were apparent in the music, especially when i was up at the front, bouncing along with 1,000 other people caught in the same frenzy.
things sagged a bit at the end, i thought--she mightve actually played too long. cherry did a song or two herself, i think, which was kind of unnecessary. "paper planes" was badass, but she mightve busted it out too soon, bc once she dropped it, the rest of the set and the encore waned.
pretty hilarious conrast between the crowd that MIA brought up onstage to dance--all white chicks--and the crowd of dancers projected on the stage-wide screen behind her during one of the encore songs--all black dudes. the reality of an MIA show vs what MIA would like an MIA show to be.
the cool kids arent half as cool as dyme def.
Did she ever make it to Sing Sing?
I waited until 1:40 but by then I was wasted and tired of ubiquitous Sing Sing dance music.
Not that I'm a hater or anything.
Wow. Were we at the same show? Of course I don't expect record quality reproduction live, but for someone who sells as many albums as she does, I'd expect her to sing in key. The crowd around me was all wincing when she'd hit those bad notes, there were many and it was very obvious. And I totally thought she lacked energy throughout the show. (Sitting down on stage?! In the middle of the show?!) I will agree, the sound at ShoSoDo was actually quite good. I took my earplugs out after we were outside, and it was still f'ing LOUD.
I didn't hear any cringe-worthy bad notes, but, c'mon, M.I.A.'s not exactly an operatic vocalist. Her voice is just another instrument in her busy-ass songs, and hell, most of the time she's rapping more than singing anyway. I do recall that the hook on "Sunshowers" sounded totally weak, though.
@6: no. your wrong.
I agree with Grandy. that was definitely one of the best shows of the year.
*you're
Not only does she suck, but she isn't a woman. She is Paul Schafer from the wonder years.
It's Pfeiffer, not Shafer, and you're thinking of Marilyn Manson, not M.I.A...
Eric: Apparently I was just a victim of my expectations. I loved both her albums and expected the same high energy and quality of voice at the live show. (Not operatic perfection, but simply quality.) I agree that her voice is an instrument, my complaint is that she didn't use her instrument well.
(Also hated the "come party on stage. Thanks, now get the hell off the stage" moment, and the extra-hype factor of MIA being in the most all of background videos doing something "cute" like surfing on a car, or banging on a drum. Unnecessary. I did like the rest of the video montage stuff that wasn't starring her.)
that was a killer show. people were dancing every where!!! that's a good indication of the night.
sounded good, looked good... it was good...drool.
please come back soon.
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