“Throw some ass, free the mind” is the hook from Sofi Tukker’s lead single “Throw Some Ass” from their new album, Bread. It’s a statement that may seem inane at first, but gets more amusing the more you listen to it. That’s been my relationship with Sofi Tukker’s music over the years; accepting that it’s not meant to be taken too seriously, and the purpose is to let loose, dance with your friends, etc.

Bread stands for “Be Really Energetic And Dance,” which is truly what they’re all about.

Sofi Tukker is the best-friend duo consisting of Sophie Hawley-Weld and Tucker Halpern. Now on their third album, and 10-years of playing together, their live act is stronger than ever. Sofi Tukker’s live show delivered high energy to a sold-out crowd at The Anthem in DC on Oct. 5. Everyone was up and moving; every inch of space was used to dance. A bucket-list show for me, and it seems like it was for them too. Sophie proclaimed early in the set that playing The Anthem was a “dream venue,” after opening there for Odesza in 2017.

Confidence Man opened the show — an Australian electronic four-piece that mimicked Sofi Tukker’s flow, fronted by singers “Sugar Bones” and “Janet Planet.” The other two members are the lampshade-looking “veilboys,” made up of producer Reggie Goodchild and drummer Clarence McGuffie (Lawrence, 2024). I knew absolutely nothing about them before I entered the photo pit. Frankly, I almost missed their set due to horrendous Saturday night traffic — but their start time was pushed back — much to my relief!

They strutted onto the stage and struck their first pose. I still wasn’t sure what to expect– but what ensued was one of the most surprising acts of 2024 that I’ve gotten to see. Not only did they sing, but they had multiple dance breaks, flips, jumps, and outfit changes. Their confident, poised energy was a marvel.

Sofi Tukker came on shortly after, opening up with title track “Bread.” Sophie emerged from a Greek-column inspired altar, with a piece of burnt toast levitating behind her. Sophie was so enticing that I hardly noticed when Tucker hit the stage with four dancers from Bob’s Dance Shop.. The sensual energy of the “Bread” guitar riff paired with bread-weights made for a fascinating viewing experience.

Their second song, “Best Friend,” is my personal favorite, and the song that got me hooked on them in 2017. The chorus is so undeniably catchy, and concludes with the hook “you are my best friend and we’ve got some shit to shoot” before the bass drops. The song has a goofy call-and-response section that’s made to be performed live. I yelled the answer to the questions each time — just like I used to do driving alone in my car in 2017.

“Yo, you wanna meet me at the bar? (Ya)
Yo, you wanna meet me at the lounge? (Ya)
Yo, you wanna meet me in the club? (Ya)
Yo, you wanna meet me downtown? (Okay)
Yo, you wanna meet me in the east? (Ya)
Yo, you wanna meet me in the west? (Ya)
Yo, you wanna meet me on the block? (Ya)
Yo, you wanna meet me at the spot? (Okay)”

“Summer in New York” is another catchy tune that samples “Tom’s Diner” by Suzanne Vega, which carries the whole song. “Spiral” is a single off of Bread that feels like a ’90s/’00s Euro-pop song. The music video features Sophie dancing with Heidi Klum.

Watch the official music video for “Spiral” by Sofi Tukker starring Heidi Klum on YouTube:

Sofi Tukker, of course, played “Throw Some Ass,” which was vivifying live. The set was briefly slowed down as Sophie played an acoustic-guitar-led song called “Hey Homie,” which is about the love you have for a friend that has never crossed a romantic boundary. “Emergency” is a lyrically basic song, repeating the line “She broke her leg, call the ambulance” until it drops into a “Simon Says” verse. In the live version, it became “Sophie says” to get the crowd going.

Sofi Tukker played their remix of “Renaissance,”the theme from The White Lotus season 2. In 2022 when the show aired, social media was buzzing with love for the main theme. Sofi Tukker adapted it into a club remix that rattled through The Anthem with everyone singing the wordless melody. Sophie climbed atop this monkey-bar structure and whipped her ponytail around ferociously.

The last three songs before the encore — “Batshit,” “Woof,” and “Purple Hat” — were surely a delight, all of which featured Tucker’s pitched down vocals. Tucker led “Woof” live, instructing the crowd to lean to one side when he crooned “heyyy.” I was awestruck to see the floor part down the middle perfectly on cue. “Purple Hat” is a banger that delivers a bumping club atmosphere anytime you listen.

They went offstage and came back out to perform “Brazilian Soul,” a love song to Brazilian culture sung by Sophie and produced by The Knocks. Sofi Tukker ended the set with “Drinkee,” one of their earliest singles, and according to the band, “the first song they ever wrote.” It’s sung entirely in Portuguese, which is common throughout Sofi Tukker’s music, but this one is the blueprint. The guitar riff is infectious and singable. Despite not knowing any of the lyrics, I feel like I know the song by heart.

I highly recommend seeing Sofi Tukker live if you’re looking to be really energetic and dance. EDM has never been my thing, as I tend to get tired of it VERY quickly. However, Sofi Tukker put on a riveting live show without relying solely on strobes, pyro, and confetti cannons, which I find is the typical EDM go-to gimmick. The show is visually appealing, crowd-engaging, and overall a damn-good time.

Here are some photos of Sofi Tukker performing at The Anthem on Oct. 5, 2024. All pictures copyright and courtesy of Carolin Harvey.

Here are some photos of Confidence Man performing at The Anthem on Oct. 5, 2024. All pictures copyright and courtesy of Carolin Harvey.