Although she only has two full length albums under her belt, I found myself more excited and nervous to photograph/review M.I.A. than many other more experienced artists.
There was more than enough hype surrounding Friday night's sold out show. After visa problems forced MIA (born Maya Arulpragasam) to miss her scheduled Sasquatch performance, tickets to this show were even more sought after.
Cool Kids (Chuck Inglish and Mikey Rocks) opened up and got the energy flowing with their fun songs and classic 80's hiphop style. It was fun to see something fresh and unique emerging in the hiphop world. My favorite of the night was their current single "Black Mags." The homage to early 90's BMX bikes hits close to home and the beat will be stuck in your head for hours.
Then the headliner finally emerged. M.I.A. entered the stage backed up by an impressive, colorful video display and her friend singer/dancer Miss Cherry. The crowd was instantly drawn to her neon patterned leggings and matching Chuck Taylors. She performed many songs from both Arular and her new album Kala including "Jimmy" and "Birdflu," my personal favorite of the night.
I think the diverse crowd would agree that whether you were a longtime fan, a supporter of her political agenda, or just wanted to witness an artist who has made countless top ten lists, M.I.A. did not disappoint. A sold out Showbox Sodo experienced all that is the amazing live M.I.A production.