Throw A Tantrum

I met up with a good friend and fellow photographer before the show on Tuesday night for a quick drink. I just felt like I needed to cheer her for her amazing photos of Bruce Springsteen over the weekend, and the fact that we got to do that amazing once-in-a-lifetime coverage together. We decided on The Palace Pub, a bar and restaurant right next door to The Palace Theatre in Saint Paul, Minnesota, where the show we were both covering on Tuesday night was being held. I was excited to just take a second and celebrate with her, but as I walked up to the bar and restaurant, I regretted choosing this as the night to celebrate. All I wanted to do was sit outside (even though it was pretty dang chilly out) and people-watch. The fashion and outfits that were streaming into what would end up being a completely packed Palace Theatre were as amazing as they were quirky. Brightly colored mini skirts to match brightly colored hair, stuffed animals sewn onto clothing to make them high-fashion, hats with everything from a cheese board to two Barbies in a hilarious (and inappropriate) position on top of them, I was in awe of what I was seeing, but, most of all, the creativity was making my heart so happy. We still got our drink, but I feel like she and I chugged them a bit quicker than usual, if only to get into The Palace Theatre and take it all in.

We didn’t have long to scan the crowd and point out more amazing outfits as opening act Princess Nokia took the stage promptly at 7 PM. Born Destiny Frasqueri, Princess Nokia is a rapper and singer-songwriter who has been on the scene for over a decade at this point. I’ll be honest, although I have heard her name time and time again, this was the first time I really spent some time with the music, and although it wasn’t quite for me, I get it. Princess Nokia has this way of blending a little bit of everything into her sound. There were times when she felt brash and almost hardcore with the brand of hip-hop she was giving, but with a hair flip, she would change her style completely into something a bit more vulnerable and more like a folksy singer-songwriter. It was amazing to see so many different sides and personalities of this woman shine throughout the set, and, again, although the music wasn’t quite my cup of tea, there was no denying the unique and flawless approach she has to music.

Another thing that had me sold on Princess Nokia was the way she interacted with the crowd. Within the first couple of songs, she took some time to point out certain people she could see from the stage. From complimenting an outfit to mentioning a hat or a certain color of hair, I just loved how she really leveled herself with the audience in a way. This was also a theme that happened throughout the night that made me so happy. I wasn’t dressed up. I was wearing my normal black dress, black hoodie, black leggings, and maroon shoes. I honestly looked a bit like a homeless loaf compared to everyone else in the venue, yet I had a couple of people compliment my style, saying how put together and cute I looked. I’m sure they were just being nice, but something amazing happens when someone mentions that to someone like me who doesn’t always have the best self-confidence. This didn’t just happen to me; it happened to just about everyone in attendance. At any given time between songs, sets, and before and after the show, you didn’t have to strain your ears to hear a compliment like this flowing between strangers. It just really set the stage for the beautiful and lovely night that was Tuesday night at The Palace, and I loved that Princess Nokia made herself a part of this aspect of the evening.

I don’t remember how I stumbled onto it or who showed it to me, but years ago, I was introduced to Ashnikko (the headliner of Tuesday night) through a YouTube video. It wasn’t a music video, and it wasn’t an interview. It was a video of this young woman with bright blue hair being waxed while trying to sing one of her songs. It was quirky, it was shocking, it was hilarious, and it caught my attention. I had never heard her music prior to seeing that video, and, honestly, her singing while getting waxed didn’t really give me much to go on as far as knowing who or what she does musically, but this waxing video had me hooked enough to the point where I went down a rabbit hole, and I still have not left.

Ashnikko, like Princess Nokia, blends so many different genres and vibes into her music. She does some rap but pairs it with a bit more of a hyperpop kind of vibe. She does this soft and almost sultry singer-songwriter thing, but matches it with a bubblegum pop kind of chutzpah. She definitely nails a rocker kind of thing from time to time, but nails it with this R&B kind of soul that makes it feel completely foreign while staying completely cozy. What I’m trying to say is that Ashnikko refuses to be put into a box and, although I knew that through my travels down the Ashnikko rabbit hole over the past couple of years, I think it was just really highlighted when seeing her perform live.

There’s a sense of drama and theatrics behind Ashnikko’s music, so it was no surprise to me that her show felt larger-than-life. From the giant, whimsical backdrop to the outfits that Ashnikko and her dancers were wearing, everything about this performance felt a bit like watching a musical rather than just a concert. At the same time, Ashnikko was able to keep her music at the forefront of it all. It’s a bit hard to explain, but I guess, long story short, this was a performance. Not just a concert and not just a show. It was the whole she-bang with attention to detail, but, more importantly, heart behind every aspect of everything that happened on Tuesday night. I mean, don’t get me wrong, everything was heavily choreographed and, at times, definitely felt heavily scripted, but there was something that kept it feeling like a concert that had been mass-produced. I wish I could tell you what that was, but I am at a loss. All I know is that for someone who does this night after night and has every step planned out, Ashnikko somehow put a fiery passion into her set that was absolutely infectious.

I lost count of how many songs Ashnikko had performed around number ten, but there must have been damn nearly twenty-five songs in her set list. She never stopped. It was song after song, followed by deafening screams from the audience. It was dance after dance, followed by deafening cheers from the audience. It was smile after smile, followed by shrieks from the audience. This was one of those shows where I may not have the right words to describe everything or know what songs were performed, but I know that there was not a single person who left the night disappointed or let down.