I love many things about Los Angeles, one of the foremost reasons is that most music acts stop in this city for shows. I can have my pick of the litter, what a litter we’ve had this summer. Which brings me to my two most recent shows, Lykke Li at the Wiltern and La Roux at the Troubador.
Both are young, stylish and buzzed about, but their performances and stage presence couldn’t be more polarized. If my karaoke career has taught my anything, it’s that performance is 7/10 of the law. It’s all about stage presence and performing the hell out of a song.
First up La Roux: Her performance was riddled with missed opportunities for show stopping moments from the second she missed her grand stage entrance down a flight of stairs. She also seemed really uncomfortable being a performer, she phoned in her outfit and they stage set up didn’t get the attention it deserved. Her opening act managed to upstage her in the presence department (IO Echo). All of this is shame because she’s got some kick ass dancey songs and her videos are the best I’ve seen in a while. None of that pizazz translated AT ALL and I found myself bored half way through the set- I didn’t want to be! I think she’s adorable! The only thing that redeemed her is that she pepped up for her big song “Bulletproof,” but not nearly enough to salvage the set. She needed a costume change or transition badly! Take a page from Liza Minnelli’s book.
Second up Lykke Li: Her songs are by and large sleepy and dreamy, so I was hoping it wasn’t going to be a “girl at her piano” kind of a show. In the opening moments of the show, I leaned over to my friend and whispered, “God I hope she has stage presence.” And did she ever, even in the nose bleed seats she completely dominated the stage from beginning to end. Her vibe was simultaneously creepy, sexy, haunting and cute. At times she seemed to be channeling Animal from the Muppets and then a Reggae dance hall queen. Her dancing, the staging, the lighting the band, her singing- flawless. My mind didn’t even begin to wander for a nanosecond, she was mesmerizing.
Winner: Lykke Li!!