Charli XCX - Neumo's - Seattle, WA

Until Charli XCX started crooning and shimmying at Neumo’s, I had no idea what a cult following she has here in Seattle.  The moment she cracked open her show with “What I Like,” the men surrounding me in the front row burst out dancing and singing every lyric.  Standing in the middle of her band of female instrumentalists, she owned everyone’s attention with her raspy British accent and fervid headbanging.  At just twenty-one years old, the English singer-songwriter is not only an international star, but also a fashion icon thanks to her goth-tinged wardrobe and huge, dread-laced hair.

Murmurs flew through the crowd when, at the end of her fourth song, “Lock You Up,” Charli broke down into tears.  As the tune was followed by an extra-emotional “Stay Away,” everyone assumed a former lover was on her mind.  She explained afterwards, though, that she actually had a sore throat, and had been on the verge of calling off the show, but “didn’t want to do that” to us.  The audience erupted into cheers of gratitude and affirmation that she still sounded amazing.  Without her confession and the fact she was drinking tea onstage, I’d have never guessed her voice was anything but at its best.  Though concertgoers were disappointed when she didn’t emerge for an encore at the end, we could hardly blame her, especially given that she’d still performed an impressive thirteen songs.  With catchy anthems like “You (Ha Ha Ha)” and “I Love It” (a song she wrote for the band Icona Pop) entering the mainstream, she’s sure to keep winning over hearts and growing her adoring fan base.

Words//Photos By:AJ Dent - Twitter // Web Site