Blue lights flashed, illuminating the stage. Three women, who were spotted earlier overlooking the stage from the balcony, descended upon it dressed impeccably in cheerleaders uniforms. One took the drums, the other picked up an electric guitar and the third took center stage. It is the third that stood out the most, in her high white gogo boots, crazy brunette hair and sparkling tiara. She makes the crowd illuminate, cheer and fistbump.
This third is Charli XCX, and she brought intense girl-punk energy and unequivocal madness upon the 9:30 Club on Oct. 2. She was preceded by the pink-haired pop group Femme and the Swedish rap goddess Elliphant.
Chali XCX began her show with a new song, “Sucker.” Since it is new, the crowd was slow to sing along, but by the end of the song, the crowd fell in love with its catchy hook. Charli also perfectly executed the ever-popular song, “Fanc,” (though she performed it without the beloved Iggy Azalea), a few new songs from her upcoming album and the impeccable “Break the Rules,” which, with lyrics like “I don’t wanna’ go to school, I just want to break the rules…” inspired the crowd to put off homework for another night and illegally spray-paint something.
The show faultlessly embodied a fabulous London-style girl-power punk/pop aura that left the audience pumped to be alive, young and adventurous. It riled the crowd enough to ensure an encore (though, with the epilepsy-inducing strobelights, one could assume that Charli and her band intended the encore to happen), where she finished off the concert with her biggest hit yet, “Boom Clap.”
The entire crowd sang and danced along. They gyrated. They celebrated. This flood of love and excitement was the direct result of Charli XCX’s performance of this song, as there are few better feelings in the world than going to a concert and hearing the band’s best song play.
All in all, Charli XCX’s concert was a hit. “I don’t care, I love it!” she sang during the concert, which directly mirrored the crowd’s reaction as they walked away from the 9:30 club in the chilly U Street night air. They loved it.
