6/1/09
House of Blues
Boston, MA

Entering the Boston House of Blues last Monday lead me to an instant realization that I was in for something different. Generally, we’ve covered rock based shows and the crowds eventually blend together, but for this night, the crowd was ageless and genre-less as all works of life seemed to come together for a night with Santigold [or Santogold], Amanda Blank, and Trouble Andrew. Hipsters and Club goers were sharing conversations over a variety of alcohol and everyone, everywhere, came to dance.

Trouble Andrew – This act lead off the night with a full band backing and songs to make you move and groove. Leading off a dance/rhythm based show comes with a lot of expectations of taking a crowd who’s excitement is around 1 out of 10 to at least a 6. If I have anything to say on the topic, this act could have opened for nearly any act today and the excitement and enthusiasm from the crowd would have easily shot to an 8. The swagger of the group emits from the stage and collides with the audience like a hurricane. It was electrifying.

Amanda Blank – Ms. Blank has never been on the UTG radar before, but as soon as she took the stage, she had my attention. This one girl version of the Millionaires spits raps in between pop singing and never backs down. Her set, though ridiculously short [20 min. for a direct support spot], everyone was into it. Also, Spank Rock came out to do a track with Blank and destroyed the stage.

Santigold – Following the 20min. direct support spot and almost an hour of waiting, Santigold finally took the stage accompanied by a full band and dancers/backup vocalists. Santigold was in high spirits as she made her way through her debut which has become a required record for any modern day hipster. The blending of hip hop, pop, RnB, dance, and rock music was seamless and the dancers kept even the dull musical moments entertaining. Where the other acts helped build excitement, Santigold was the fruition of the night and it was wonderful.

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James Shotwell

James Shotwell is the founder of Under The Gun Review. He loves writing about music and movies almost as much as he loves his two fat cats. He's also the co-founder of Antique Records and the Marketing Coordinator for Haulix. You should probably follow him on Twitter.

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