I don’t go to (m)any pop shows. Don’t get me wrong, I love pop music just like everyone else, but I’d rather hit a rock show. It’s just the way I am. Something about the enigmatic Allie X caught my interest, though, and I had a good time finding out what she’s all about.
It was an early show so I had to hustle over to Double Door after work, but I got a decent spot for pictures since the crowd was a little smaller than I had imagined. Lots of very young peopl, wearing Lady Gaga jackets and shirts. Gaga is obviously a big influence on Allie, with a lot of music publications referring to her as “the new Lady Gaga.” That’s lazy writing, but I get what they’re saying.
For my money, Allie X is a bit more fun than Gaga. They talk about some similar things like identity and sexuality, but the electro-pop jams Allie X kicks out are more interesting and less boring top 40-style.
The performance duration was about as scant as Allie’s barely-bottom-covering feather dress. At around 30 minutes she was already announcing her final song. She only has a 7-song EP out so far, called CollXion-1. She did the whole thing and the crowd ate it up.
Her onstage persona is a cool femme fatale. She never smiles. The people in the front row got a great experience as Allie got right into their faces as she knelt on the floor. Her backing band was fine, but she could’ve been playing to a recording and I don’t think anyone would have noticed.
It was a lot of fun. I especially enjoyed seeing her perform “Bitch,” which I think is easily her best song. Highly recommended if you like dancing. She only has one more show lined up (out in LA), but check her website for upcoming dates.
