Much like the Colorado spring day that broke through to unravel the recent blizzard, burst onto the Ogden Theatre stage on Thursday night like a jolt of dense sunshine shimmering through the cold.
Since her 2008 self-titled debut album, Santigold has proven to be a dance/pop artist with a seriously artsy edge. But the look, sound and feel of her new “We Buy Gold” tour was pure consumerist culture jamming: a flood of Cheetos and blue Gatorade, tanning beds, shopping carts and sign spinning.
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Santigold’s set at the sold-out Ogden was a smart mix of new material from her recent release “99¢” with proven crowd pleasers from her last two albums, including the one-two punch of her opening songs: the bright-but-heavy “You’ll Find a Way” and “L.E.S. Artistes.” Once the undulating Ogden audience was warmed by these favorites, she launched into new material like the poppy reggae of “Big Boss Big Time Business” and the playful howl of “Banshee.” The new work is decidedly brighter in tone, but works perfectly to highlight the themes of promotion and consumerism that Santigold is exploring.
Though the theatrics and costuming were toned down compared to , one unstoppable, irresistible constant of her show is the stoic power of the SG-1 dancers, who perform every move in a deadpan unison. From a drill featuring selfie-sticks as batons to a saunter with shopping carts, Santi’s dancers illustrated her themes flawlessly. Less perfect was the sound from the stage — it was often hard to hear some of the guitar work, and the singer seemed to be struggling with her in-ear monitors through most of the set. As Santigold herself pointed out, “We’re early in this tour, still working out the kinks.” No technical glitches that could hinder the jubilant ego power of the closer, “Can’t Get Enough of Myself.”
In a night of music featuring strong women making strong statements, opening act Leikeli47 deserves a special shout-out for her opening, swagger-filled set. The mysterious Brooklyn-based rapper performs and appears obscured by a Pussy Riot-style balaclava, but this only serves to sharpen the impact of her hip-hop braggadocio. Keep an ear out for the ballsy single
Set list: Santigold, Ogden Theatre, 03/25/16
- You’ll Find a Way
- L.E.S Artistes
- Big Boss Big Time Business
- Banshee
- Lights out
- Say Aha
- Unstoppable
- Freak Like Me
- Walking in a Circle
- This Isn’t Our Parade
- Who Be Lovin Me
- Chasing Shadows
- Disparate Youth
- Anne
- Creator
- Go!
- All I Got
- Who I Thought you Were
- Shove It/ Brooklyn We Go Hard
- Big Mouth
- Can’t Get Enough of Myself
- Encore: B.O.O.T.A.Y
