REVIEW: Woodkid makes an EPIC LA debut
ARTIST: WOODKID
VENUE: The Fonda Theatre
DATE: Wednesday, May 8 at 10:10pm
COST: $22.50
DEPARTED THE SHOW FEELING: FACE. A whole lot of FACE. I never saw any of that on YouTube.
There was a lot of hype built up around the Los Angeles debut of Paris-based video director Woodkid, AKA Yoann Lemoine. After a cancelled show at the Luckman, due to Hurricane Sandy, the queen rose up and finally took her crown. And that shit did not disappoint.
The event kicked off with an awkward DJ set by Woodkid collaborators The Shoes. The band is great, their DJ set was decent, but it just not the right precursor to Woodkid’s orchestral meets Dothraki (yep I went there) realness. Not sure why management decided to throw the band on as DJ’s. The Shoes would have come off so much better had they performed their own material live. But let’s be real, DJ sets are cheap to produce and easy to travel – so there we have it.
With a bombastic entrance Woodkid took the stage alongside his six musical brothers, focusing on the core elements of drums, synths, and horns. Lots of horns.
As the show developed and unfolded, so did Yoann. What blossomed in front of my eyes was a riveting visual masterpiece. Woodkid set forth a kinetic energy that left no viewer unharmed. We were his army, and we’re going into battle.
Like any good foreplay the teasing became too much as the single “Iron” took over the venue. It was time to give up any resistance or doubt I may have had about Yoann. Grown men were screaming and begging for more as Yoann smiled, giggled, and proclaimed “je t’aime”. CLIMAX.
Now, if we’re being real – he’s a very little man. He doesn’t dance, and doesn’t quite have that “traditional” sex appeal that lead singers generally possess. What he does carry with him is an arsenal of creative juices that will make his live performances legendary. With breathtaking strobes, a screen of cinematic projections, and his deliciously layered tracks that is unrivaled in music today – Woodkid will be the music and visual mastermind you will talk about for years to come.
Highlight: Encore featuring “Run Boy Run” remixed and Yoann Lemoine screaming the lyric “It’s time to RUN!” #PASSION
corispelling 
Leave a Reply