Everyone was in really good spirits for an energetic concert headlined by Los Angeles synthpop artist Riki recently at DC9. Riki gave a commanding performance, buoyed by the companionship of her opening acts — Delores Galore from New Orleans and Donzii from Miami — and the evening felt like a showcase for three very different but complementary acts.
I first saw Riki in 2023 when she appeared early in the day at the Cruel World festival. Cruel World pulls in legacy new wave and post-punk acts from the ’70s and ’80s and then layers the day with young acts that take inspiration from those MTV-era bands. With an early time slot, Riki dazzled at Cruel World, owning the large stage and totally beguiling the audience with a nine-song setlist.
Fast foward to March 20 at DC9, and Riki made what I believe is her first headlining appearance in DC, where she also performed about nine songs. She refreshed her setlist with new tunes dropped on March 14 — “Pulser” and B-side “Devil Games” — two melodic and sultry numbers that showcase Riki’s expressive voice and her excellent ear for synthpop.
Stream “Pulser” by Riki on YouTube:
Riki owned the stage and she had the crowd eating out of her hand as she strutted, danced, and sang. She was positively radiant, and some of her jubilance came from the joy of sharing the bill with her old friend Delores Galore. Hailing form New Orleans, Delores was sang some punchy R&B numbers that explored the power of the synthesizer in that genre, including tracks from her new album Don’t Send Me Kisses.
Here are a few snaps of Delores Galore!
After Delores opened the show, post-punk duo Donzii performed next. Donzii, consisting of Jenna Balfe and Dennis Fuller, delivered a punk cabaret set that reminded me a bit of Dresden Dolls except with guitars instead of drums. Only a few days ago, Donzii released a new single, “On the Inside,” and their setlist reached back to 2019 for songs including “Green Elevator” and “Sand” from their early EP Gladugly.
Here are a few photos of Donzii at DC9!
In addition to her two new songs, Riki put the spotlight on her self-titled debut album, performing tracks such as “Strohman” and “Böse Lügen.” She was brimming with confidence, and for good reason: She looked and sounded great! Each song drew the audience into the show even more, and it paid off with a brilliant encore performance of “Napoleon” during which Riki played a melodica.
Watch the official music video for “Napoleon” by Riki on YouTube:
Riki was a total smash, representing the best of fresh young new wave artists. She could perhaps get more exposure as an opener for sympathetic acts where she would be completely at home, ranging from art rockers Yeah Yeah Yeahs to dreampoppers Purity Ring to new wave kings New Order. (This show at DC9 certainly demonstrated the power of different genres of music to hang together in an entertaining show.) Either way, let’s hope that she returns to the east coast on tour soon.
Here are some photos of Riki performing at DC9 on March 20, 2025. All pictures by Mickey McCarter.
