LOS ANGELES, CA- On October 9th, 2019, singer/songwriter/rapper K. Flay popped into LA’s historic Wiltern Theatre for a stop on her “Solutions Tour.” The event, put on by ALT 98.7, was one I definitely did not want to miss. I’ve been a fan of K. Flay’s since I came across her grammy-nominated song “Blood In The Cut” on Spotify a couple of years ago and couldn’t stop listening to it. I was instantly hooked to the Illinois native’s grungy, genre-defying sound. Her mix of hip hop, synth-pop, and indie rock can really put you on a good high and her live show was just as intoxicating as I had expected.
Her latest album, of the same name, is another beat-driven collection of bangers. After a two year break, you can really hear the way she plays with various genres and styles from garage rock to indie pop. She also seems to take more risks vocally, concentrating more on melody and rapping less than has on her prior albums. It’s an exciting chapter in her musical repertoire.
Opening the night was another one of my favorite singer/songwriters, Meg Myers. Myers took the stage with her two bandmates and right away it was clear she was unhappy with the sound. She kept signaling the sound guys to turn up the vocals, and it appeared she was having problems with her in-ears. She still sounded great and growled away in her unique fashion (her scream does things to me), but her energy was definitely affected by the technical difficulties. It was a shame because Myers is one of my absolute favorites to watch and is usually so raw and carefree in her performance … but on this night, you could tell she was not able to get lost in the music like she normally does and let loose the way I’ve seen her done before.
The crowd, much like myself, still enjoyed every minute of it and knew in time she would hit her stride. That stride came a few songs into her set when Myers played her awesome cover of Kate Bush’s “Running Up That Hill.” It was the first time I saw her do the cover live and she knocked it out of the park. Her set also included fan favorites such as “Monster,” “Jealous Sea,” Motel” and ended with the fiercely dark and sexy, “Desire.”
Myers really found her groove on the last song, and the fans loudly sang along “How do you want me, How do you want me?” Oh Meg, we want you exactly the way you are.
The screams were beyond wild as the lights came up and a silhouetted K.Flay appeared, crouching on top of the raised stage. “Not in California” was the opener and had the crowd instantly grooving along. The song lists off modern-day issues (such as climate change) in an upbeat way that most wouldn’t even realize there’s actually an important message in the lyrics. And that’s what K.Flay does best. Heavy and personal words layered on top of infectious dance beats. She continued to slay the night away with many of her other insightful bangers including, “Good News,” “Bad Vibes” and “I Like Myself (Most of the time).”
She slowed it down halfway through the set, performing two songs acoustically, “Nervous” and “Can’t Sleep.” The band sat at the front of the stage for these two songs, making the performance more personal. Next up was a cover that she explained to the crowd although she didn’t write it “it changed my life twice.” The song, “Fuck and Run” by 90’s indie-rock goddess Liz Phair, not only brought her back to when she graduated college but she also met her current girlfriend, musician Miya Folick, at a Liz Phair concert, so the song holds a special place in her heart. K. Flay performed the song in the center of the stage alone, with just the guitar and her heart on her sleeve. It was a delicate moment that quieted down the otherwise frenzied crowd.
K. Flay got back to pumping up the crowd in no time, continuing with “DNA” and the undeniably fun song “Ice Cream.” “So Fast, So Maybe” really showcased K. Flay’s mad rap skills. She ended the main set with “High Enough” and the audience was most definitely feeling pretty high from the night at this point. K. Flay took a quick break and returned to close out the night with a two-song encore. The cheerful “Sister” was a crowd pleaser but it was absolutely the last song that everyone, myself included, was anticipating the most.
When the opening notes of “Blood in the Cut” rang out, the fans were ecstatic. K. Flay ran around the stage, now lit in bright red lights, dancing and singing so fiercely, I was awestruck at what a powerful performer she is. K-Flay instructed the crowd to bring it down as she hummed out the ‘na na na na na’s’ of the bridge. The audience got down, literally, and crouched low on the dance floor before the whole place exploded with confetti during the final chorus. The crowd shouted along enthusiastically “I need noise!” K. Flay sure did bring the noise and then some!
LA, ya’ll better get it together next time she’s in town because she is an act not to miss!
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