Nikka Sets Fire to The Roxy
[CONCERT REVIEW — Nikka Costa @ The Roxy | April 9, 2010]
...Figuratively speaking, of course...Let's just say that the temperature SIZZLED enough to set off alarms as Nikka rocked our worlds AGAIN on Friday night.
I met up with my friend, Cheryl around 5:30p for a quick bite next door at the Rainbow Room (where the food is overpriced and the service is mediocre at best --- but you can't beat the convenient location).
We were in line in front of the Roxy by 7:30p.
Doors and box office opened at 8p.
Opening Band #1: Jason Diaz (and the Original Series)
I didn't catch the first part of this band's set as I was unavoidably and happily occupied* elsewhere in the club. But what I did see & hear was pretty awesome. Watching Jason on stage, I saw bits and pieces of a young Michael Jackson circa 1971, a young Prince circa 1978, and a young Lenny Kravitz circa whenever he hit puberty — all rolled into a soulful, young package. Listening to the last part of his set, I could almost hear the different flavors of rock, blues and soul influence in his voice and in the music. I look forward to searching out his album and delving deeper to find out what I missed in the first part of his set.
Having been fortunate enough to secure a spot at the front of the stage, I was able to catch a glimpse of the set list:
Unholiest War
Hey Girl
Come Together
Stomp Out the Sun
Take Me or Leave Me
Welcome to the Bloody Future
Pleasure in Pain
Opening Band #2: New Kingdom
For me, this band gets a C+ for music and an A- for effort and enthusiasm. I couldn't quite concentrate on the music because the lead singer was a distracting blur...running and jumping around the stage like a psychotic aerobics instructor on speed. He worked himself into such a frenzy that with every shake of his locks, he sprayed the audience with sweat. It was almost like being in church and having the priest splash holy water on the congregation—only without the prayers and not as sanitary. I started to think that maybe the Roxy should paint the floor surrounding the stage and label it "SPLASH ZONE" like they do at Sea World for those who don't want to get doused with Whale Water during the show. But I digress. Perhaps it was the anticipation of Nikka's set immediately after, but I could hardly wait for this band to finish.
Nikka took the stage at 10:50p, sporting red skin-tight pants, sexy white high-heeled knee-high boots, and a sequined red and gold poncho over a red mesh spaghetti-strap tank. Shimmering in the spotlight, she was reminiscent of a hot little firecracker ready to explode...and explode she did as she opened with a brand new, never-before-heard song --- PRO --- from her soon-to-be-completed ("about 80% done") album.
SETLIST:
Pro
Can'tNeverDidNothin
Keep Pushin'
Fooled Ya Baby
Like a Feather
Hope it Felt Good
Tug of War
Keep Wanting More
Everybody's Got Their Something
Can't Please Everybody
ENCORE:
Happy In the Morning
Love to Love You Less
True to form, Nikka rocked the house off the Richter scale....as if we would expect anything less. Her mood was playful and fun as she connected with the audience in-between songs, asking if anyone had any jokes, and cracking a few of her own. During "Everybody's Got Their Something," I could only bust out laughing as I saw a pair of red & white boxers flying through the air onto the stage followed by someone else's unfortunate pair of tidy whities. Nikka just laughed as she flung them back into the audience without missing a beat.
And as side note for all you band geeks out there, Nikka's trombone player (who's name escapes me for the moment) KILLED IT in her solo during KEEP PUSHIN'...Jumping all around, dancing, and smiling at the audience between the notes...She made it FUNKY. Which just goes to show you...Nikka's music can make even playing the trombone a hot commodity. So don't pack away the band uniform just yet. Keep those dreams alive!
The show wrapped at 12:12am...a little less than an hour and a half. And as with her previous shows, I found myself "wanting more". She's certainly got enough material for at least another hour. But then, even after another hour, the audience would still be panting for more. It seems impossible to get enough of Ms. Costa.
That's all I gotta say....Until her next LA appearance....
*CHECK OUT THE EXCLUSIVE PRE-SHOW INTERVIEW WITH NIKKA COSTA AT WWW.DRFUNKENBERRY.COM
PLEASE CONTINUE TO SUPPORT LIVE MUSIC!!!
