Words and photos by Nancy Kiner
Correction: an earlier version of this article incorrectly paired photos of opener Confidence Man with descriptions of both acts.
The Anthem is being mobbed at the front. The doors that were supposed to open at 7:30 have stayed shut until 8 and antsy, glittered fans are getting impatient. Once people flood in, the venue is packed full. D.C. has shown out, selling out the Anthem for the New York born EDM duo, Sofi Tukker.
Confidence Man, the opener for Sofi Tukker, sport extraterrestrial outfits as they set the energy for the acts to come. The Australian group hails from Brisbane and is made up of Janet Planet, Sugar Bones, Clarence McGuffie and Reggie Goodchild. Janet Planet and Sugar Bones are the vocals behind the music and they give the Anthem a show to be remembered.
Opening the set with a catchy tune created with DJ Seinfeld titled, “Now U Do” the duo bounces around the stage with a consistent rhythm. Confidence Man has released four albums 2018 and their set list spans all of their discography as they move from songs off their newest album, “3AM (LA LA LA)” to older releases, such as “Boyfriend (Repeat).”
The two move together as one sonic unit, not two separate musicians. Almost every movement from Janet is matched by Sugar and vice versa, but they also know how to take turns holding the audience’s attention. Sugar Bones dances stage left as Janet sings the chorus in a lighthearted tone. He seems to exist on his own planet for a short second as he moves to the left side of the stage. Bones then takes a bottle of Champagne and sprays it over the crowd like holy water. Dipping the champagne bottle back into his mouth he displays his “Love Gate” tattoo above his beltline. Throughout the performance McGuffie and Goodchild stay in black cloaks as they spin the tracks behind Planet’s unique vocals.
The duo emerged in 2016 and have been opening for Sofi Tukker throughout their tour which began in late September.
The headliners enter the stage dressed in similar white attire. Sophie Hawley-Weld (Sofi), the German-American singer, fetches a glitter two piece and white pants while Tucker Halpern (Tukker) wears a white denim vest. From their eclectic dance moves driven by disco, the Anthem is given a real show in the first five minutes. The set begins with their newest single, “BREAD” from their recent album. The duo then moved to older music from the duo such as “Swing,” a single from 2019 and “Batshit,” one of the big hits from their 2018 album Treehouse.
“How are we DC?” Tukker shouts to the crowd. Nearing the fourth song in the set this is the first time the musicians have spoken to the crowd. They open by describing how grateful they are to be in the concert space. “We opened for ODESZA, I think like five years ago and ever since we played here, we were like ‘we want one day to be able to play here on our own’” Sofi says to the crowd. “We’re Sofi Tukker” she closes with a smirk on her face and bass in hand.
“How many of you came here with your best friends tonight? You’re gonna help us sing this one?” Tukker asks from behind a keyboard decorated like a greek column before he begins “Best Friend,” the duo’s most popular song. The sax beat intro to the song beckons the audience to pull their phones out and a woman beside me says, “This one I know.”
“Best Friend” warms up the crowd before they enter into songs from Wet Tennis, the group’s second album, kicking off with “Summer in New York.” The sold out crowd yells along while rhinestone backup dancers sway with Sofi’s slicked back ponytail as she changes the lyrics to “Summer in D.C.”
The performance intertwines Sofi’s Brazilian heritage and Tukker’s intricate knowledge of mixing different electronic sounds. With the help of Lucas Hive Brazil, a talented tour choreographer and on stage personality, the duo seamlessly flows from “Shake Some Ass” to “Goddess in Disguise” highlighting the South American sound essential to the Sofi Tukker experience. While it can be heard listening to their recordings, watching them live it is undeniable that Sofi’s Brazilian heritage is the key to the pair’s unique sound and success.
Energy continues to rise steadily throughout the show as the duo returns to performing songs off of their newest album, “Woof” and “Purple Hat.” The record’s name, BREAD, is an acronym for “Be Really Energetic and Dance.” As I watched a woman hold her crutch overhead and move to the energy coming from onstage, I laughed. Everyone in The Anthem was dancing their hearts out to Sofi Tukker’s electronic fusion of their personal sonic expressions.
Leave a Reply