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Little Boots performs at The Carolina Theatre in Durham during Moogfest on May 18, 2018. (Photo by Mickey McCarter)
When last I saw Little Boots in DC, I recommended Moogfest book the triple threat performer, DJ, and businesswoman, giving her opportunities to sing, spin, and lecture. Last week, she fulfilled part of that destiny with a live concert and a DJ set, crediting Moogfest for inspiring her to “rebuild” a live show after a successful year or so behind the decks.
Moogfest headliner Kelela (Photo courtesy Paradigm Agency)
Moogfest 2018, scheduled for May 17-20 in Durham, North Carolina, is the premier urban music festival dedicated to the synthesizer. This year, a slew of electronic musicians joins headlining artists Kelela, Mouse on Mars, KRS-One, Chelsea Manning, Jon Hopkins. You can win tickets to attend with Parklife DC.
Little Boots (Photo courtesy High Rise PR)
English chanteuse Little Boots made a rare visit to DC this week, launching a DJ tour that keeps her in the United States for the rest of the month.
Despite her proclivity for pink, Little Boots is more than a pretty face! I have come to admire her ambition and her interest in all aspects of music production. Outside of three very smart full-length albums, the lady, born Victoria Hesketh, tours regularly as a deejay, and she owns her own label, On Repeat Records. And she’s a master of the synthesizer.
On her way into DC Saturday, Victoria Hesketh published a humorous tweet describing her guest list for her show at U Street Music Hall that night.
Guest list looking strong for DC tonight. pic.twitter.com/WIhQntIc0g — little boots (@littleboots) July 25, 2015
Victoria is better known as Little Boots, of course, and we applauded her reference to famous DC punk bands. In her musical evolution over three albums to date, Little Boots has gone from a bit of new wave-influenced dance-pop, which took a page from punk inspirations back in the day, to full-blown nu disco. And that journey led her to previous collaborations with UK new wave artists like Gary Numan and Phil Oakey of The Human League.
The synthpop diva has always leaned into house and disco, but she does so full tilt on her new album, Working Girl, which she brought on tour to DC Saturday night. In line with the title of the album, Little Boots has adopted a strategic marketing approach that sees her rocking out in power suits and sporting rather professional if comfortable office wear.
Early in her performance, Little Boots performed her latest single, “No Pressure,” which encapsulates all of the wonderful things about the new album and the new attitude. The song is about the possibility of a change and escaping your expectations, and its accompanying video cleverly stages the message in a workplace environment.
Little Boots (Photo courtesy High Rise PR)
I am beyond excited that U Street Music Hall will welcome Little Boots (born Victoria Hesketh) on Saturday, July 25 as she tours in support of her new album, Working Girl, which she released last week on her own label, On Repeat Records.
I first encountered Little Boots back in 2009 with her single “New in Town” from her debut album, Hands, thanks to its regular rotation at Liberation Dance Party at DC9. I continued to be impressed by that album, which featured a duet with The Human League’s Phil Oakey as a bonus to synthpop nerds like me, and its follow-up, Nocturnes.
Working Girl may be her most exciting offering to date, however, as the bright dance album offers abundantly lovely synths and a decisive theme around which to rally — the corporate work day. All of the videos released for singles from the new album have been quite clever, and feature Little Boots adorned in the best of office fashions, such as with the latest “No Pressure.”
Watch the video for “No Pressure”:
Little Boots isn’t afraid to explore what happens after the workday either, such as with her humorous video for “Better in the Morning,” which takes her on a “walk of shame” after a night of partying too hard.
Watch the video for “Better in the Morning” (and prepare to chuckle and fall in love a little bit):
To my knowledge, this is the first performance of Little Boots ever in DC, although she is a regular visitor to Brooklyn from England, and she nearly made it here on a few previous occasions. Don’t miss what is sure to be a great performance.
Little Boots
w/ Prinze George
U Street Music Hall
Saturday, July 25
Doors @ 7pm
$20
All ages
DC, so much to do in July!
From Dave Grohl celebrating 20 years of Foo Fighters, to the Nationals’ Stephen Strasburg bobblehead night, to the start of Screen on the Green, there are infinite options to keep you occupied this month. See Part 1 of this list here.
Music
Just a few of the many concerts we like in July.
Foo Fighters 20th Anniversary Blowout @ RFK Stadium, 7/4/15
Enjoy the 4th of July with Dave Grohl and gang, along with Heart, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, LL Cool J, and more.
Metric and Imagine Dragons @ Verizon Center, 7/6/15
Mudhoney @ Black Cat, 7/7/15
Little Boots @ U Street Music Hall, 7/25/15
Friday Night Concert Series @ Yards Park – July
Sports
Nationals’ Home Games @ Nationals Park
The Nats are hot. It’s not a weather thing. Take yourself out to the ballgame. Get a bobblehead.
Movies and Shows
Screen On the Green @ The National Mall
The Screen on the Green kicks off another season with a few classic movies.
Book of Mormon @ The Kennedy Center – July
Laugh. Be offended. Or both. A must see while it’s still in DC!
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