Last Friday, I–along with MuuMuse contributor Sam and one of my bestest bloggy BFFLs Jon of Jon Ali’s Blog–attended ArjanWrites.com’s SUPERFRAICHE at the Galapagos Art Space in Brooklyn.
After a slightly delayed arrival to the showcase (okay, so I programmed the directions to the venue for “walking” by accident. FUCKING SUE ME, JON), the boys and I settled down with a whole troupe of Twitter buddies and pals from OutSpokenNYC just before the show began.
Mr. Arjan of ArjanWrites took to the stage around 9:15 to introduce the first opening act, She’s The Queen–a NYC-based synth-pop duo, followed by a spirited performance by the boys of Databoy, another synth-pop pairing that came equipped with some throbbing, crunchy beats and extra catchy hooks.
Photo courtesy of Gabi Porter/Metromix New York
One cranberry vodka later, Arjan returned to the stage to introduce the boy robot himself: Simon Curtis!
Armed with a professional showman’s style (including Brit Brit-friendly head tosses and arm snaps) and a falsetto vocal range that would have Darren Hayes grinning from ear to ear, Curtis tore through his 20-minute set, delivering a solid mix of songs from both his debut album 8Bit Heart, as well as a few cuts from his upcoming sophomore record RΔ, including “Don’t Dance” and “Pit of Vipers.”
Halfway through the set, Curtis took to the center catwalk to talk to the crowd. “In honor of this week in pop, I wanted to sing a very special song,” he declared, citing it quite possibly his favorite song of all time. Knowing the boy to be as much of a crazed stan as I, it came as no surprise when Curtis began: “Oh baby, baby…how was I supposed to know?” he slowly crooned.
And so the rising pop star led a spirited acoustic rendition of Britney’s iconic debut single, “…Baby One More Time” in honor of Femme Fatale release week as the crowd loudly sung and swayed along. Nothing like filling a room with some B love!
But perhaps the highlight of the night for Curtis was “Enemy,” a relentless, synth-driven club affair. “Don’t let me be your enemy,” he chanted on repeat as the bass pounded through the venue. It’s definitely one of his best cuts yet–a surefire smash from the new record!
Curtis ended his set with the enormously catchy upcoming RΔ track, “Laser Guns Up,” which–as demonstrated every time he’s performed the song live–ended with much of the audience waving their hand guns up in the air and chanting right along with Curtis. Ay, ay, ay!
If you haven’t already, head to Billboard to hear an mini-mix of Simon’s upcoming studio album, or check out his official website.
Photo courtesy of Gabi Porter/Metromix New York
After Curtis cleared the stage (and right after they played Brit’s “Gasoline”–HELLO!), Arjan returned to announce the last act of the night: The ever mesmerizing Sky Ferreira.
Ferreira then wandered onto the stage wearing a simple black skirt and white blouse, as she immediately launched into the flawless debut UK single that first won her so much buzz around the blogosphere: “One.”
And while Ferreira’s vocals are often twisted and distorted on record, the 18-year-old songstress’ incredible voice truly shined as she belted out four cuts, including three songs from her debut EP, As If: “108,” “Traces,” and ending with a bang (literally!) with her current single and CK One campaign theme song, “Sex Rules.”
Playing with her hair in front of her face, mumbling, mischievously grinning and kneeling to the stage, Ferreira worked the stage in her usual Courtney Love-lite, ‘Girl-you-okay?’ kind of way.
And while the 18-year-old songstress was visibly quite nervous, her presence remains utterly undeniable: Only a minute into her first song, the runway was flanked with fans bobbing along and cheering for the tiny, warbling starlet. It was incredible to watch!
Sky’s debut EP, AS IF!, is now available on iTunes. If you’d like to read more about it, check out the MuuMuse review here.
After the show, Jon, Sam and I headed out after the show to eat burgers with Mr. Curtis, his music producer, and the lovely and delightful Tamar of MTV Buzzworthy.
We sincerely hope you enjoyed Brooklyn, Simon! (Also, my sincerest apologies for singing terribly over you during the Britney singalong in the car…)
For more professional photographs from the show, check out the full set courtesy of Gabi Porter/Metromix New York at Arjan’s Facebook page.
Thank you to Arjan of ArjanWrites.com and GUMBO NYC for a fabulous showcase!