Miike Snow returned to LA last Thursday, October 14, 2010 and played to a packed audience at Club Nokia. Most seasoned concert-goers know the tedious feeling of waiting through bad opening bands before the headliner plays. Both MNDR and Mark Ronson & The Business Intl. however, incited the exact opposite feeling. MNDR’s Amanda Warner performed synth-laden, disco reminiscent pop songs in front of a colorful projection of bright cubes and lasers. The New York (via Oakland) musician sounded like a softer version of Le Tigre with a dose of Santigold.
Mark Ronson & The Business Intl. played next and their blend of hip-hop and electro pop really got the crowd moving. Guest rapper, Spank Rock, burst onto the stage for a couple of tracks that included, “Bang Bang Bang,” and “Ooh Wee.” The ensemble worked extremely well together considering the amount of talent and members in the line-up. Rose Elinor Dougall (The Pipettes), Alex Greenwald (Phantom Planet), and Amanda Warner (MNDR) to name a couple, played alongside a platinum blonde Mark Ronson. The atmosphere just felt like a huge, carefree party where everyone was out to have fun.
By the time Mark Ronson & The Business Intl finished their set, they more than warmed up the crowd. Before Miike Snow even went on stage, the antlers propped against instruments, giant jackrabbit backdrop, dim blue lights, and billowing smoke machines made it clear that some serious business was about to go down. With silver masks covering their faces for the first three songs or so, the members of Miike Snow started off the night with an instrumental intro that led to the crowd favorite, “Burial.” Christian Karlsson and Pontus Winnberg (well known as the Grammy Award winning Swedish producing duo, Bloodshy & Avant) played on opposite ends of the stage while Andrew Wyatt sang center stage.
Miike Snow stands as one of those universally appealing bands; their hooks are irresistibly catchy while their electro pop beats all but command you to dance. Miike Snow’s 2009 self titled debut album featured songs with indie music allure but also with enough mass appeal to be used in TV shows like “Gossip Girl” and commercials for Palm smartphones. This probably explained why the attendees of the show consisted of a refreshing mix of people—from the usual hipsters to muscle packed bros.
“Plastic Jungle,” was the highlight of the night for me as I pictured a dark tooth and nail society from the lyrics. Admittedly, the deep synths and repeating chorus of “I wanna get slain,” made this track extremely sexy and danceable so those were factors as well. Towards the end of their set, LED lights lit up their vests and strobes flashed everywhere. They ended the night with an encore that included a cover of Vampire Weekend’s, “The Kids Don’t Stand A Chance.” Even when Miike Snow left the stage after an encore, people still stood around hoping for more until the house lights eventually went up.
All in all, Miike Snow’s show at Club Nokia was an incredibly fun experience not to be missed. They leave you sweaty, satisfied, slightly disorientated but smiling. Cigarette, anyone?
Words and Photos: Wei Shi
Click here for Mark Ronson & The Business Intl.’s photo gallery!
Click here for MNDR’s photo gallery!
