By MATT CARTER // Danish electro-pop singer played to a sold-out crowd at rescheduled tour date.
Photos By: KATHLEEN PHIPPS
Danish singer and conduit of girl power MØ (Karen Andersen), played to an unusually eager sold-out crowd at Wonder Ballroom on Wednesday. Reason being that fans had been waiting for the rescheduled date since November when her tour was postponed due to a recording conflict. This came as a disappointment to many, but was proof that the singer’s current popularity with producers was demanding new singles to feed her already massive audience worldwide. And if the new tracks are important enough to postpone a tour by 4 months, it’s safe to say they must be well worth it.
L.A. producer Kittens opened the show with a DJ mix of bass, bounce, and trap. Giving a nice primer to MØ’s gutsy electro pop. Kittens - with super model good looks, heavy rap samples and whirlwind transitions - made quite an impression on the packed all-ages crowd. The young, animated turn-out soaked up her beats and energy like they were a sunny day during a Portland winter.
MØ opened with a slower rework of “Don’t Wanna Dance” which, despite the song's build up and false start by the drummer, was quickly forgotten as Andersen's captivating and agile stage presence took hold. Her set was composed of many singles off her album No Mythologies to Follow, all of which have reached meteoric heights thanks to her hyped music videos and online presence.
“Waste of Time” spins a soulful tale of a messy break up, but is contrasted with sexy loops of her moaning voice and croaking gasps, and the onomatopoeia of “druh” during the hook. The show seemed to reach its climax with “Pilgrim,” as her woeful lines took a deeper cadence with a lush chorus of sampled horns and the crescendo of the lyrics, “Get a hold of it.” In between songs, little Danish flags made their way into the audience, signifying a deep admiration for her dedicated performance. By the conclusion, it was clear there could never be any hard feelings between MØ and her fans for the long wait.
Still no word on if she'll be dusting off that cover of Spice Girls' “Say You’ll Be There”. I guess that’s why there is a next time.
MØ
(Setlist 3/15/17)
Don't Wanna Dance
Waste of Time
Slow Love
Kamikaze
Riot Gal
All I Do
Fire Rides
Walk This Way
Dust Is Gone
Maiden
Pilgrim
Drum
Cold Water
True Romance
Glass
Final Song
Encore:
Don't Leave
Lean On