Tkay Maidza @ The Bootleg 10/20/16
Seeing her in what seemed to be an orange pullover with matching wrestling shorts, one could infer Tkay Maidza was gonna try something different last night at LA’s Bootleg Theater. Three-plus inches off the ground in her platforms, Maidza flitted around the intimate Bootleg stage, her hair bouncing in her wake. Proper form from the girl from down under, whose music exudes energy and pop spectacle, a water slide of sound. Because of this, I feel like she needed a bigger stage than the Bootleg’s tight side-stage. Though Maidza herself is abound with pep, a set of equally pepped background dancers or confetti cannons are elements her music deserves.
That aside, Maidza did deliver an excellent show regardless of the venue. In spite of her young age and career, this Aussie’s managed to accumulate a stockpile of hip-pop gems, many of which were on display last night. She fired-off bubbly clapbacks to her haters on both “U-Huh” and “M.O.B.,” carbonated combinations of synth-pop and rap. A pleasant surprise for myself came when Maidza coasted into “Down Like This,” her techno collaboration with Motez, and showed the room an aptitude for slaying electronic beats as well. (But no “Wishes,” which she said she’d stopped playing live two months ago😢)
Overall, Maidza gave a show that highlighted her burgeoning talent as well as her omnivorous musical taste. The only route for her from this point onward is up and, like her show, I’m sure it’ll be a thrill to observe.
