Charli XCX + SOPHIE didn’t take the stage until a little bit past 11:30 Thursday night at ExchangeLA as part of Red Bull Sound Select’s #30DaysInLA. But once they did, people matched the two’s energy despite it being a school night.
SOPHIE took his spot behind the decks for a few songs before being joined on stage by the scantily-clad voluptuous Brooke Candy, complete with pasties. She sand the first number before turning it over to Charli XCX with a rousing introduction. The production that accompanied his show ramped up once Charli XCX hit the stage about 15 minutes into the performance.
Though it felt as though the British singer-producer was mostly aided by the track, it didn’t alter the effect she had on the crowd. She hyped everyone up despite the late-hour start and people acted as though they’d been waiting days to let everything go and dance their asses off.
Prior to the show, Charli XCX tweeted that she was excited about the performance because her and SOPHIE were going to share some unreleased songs, maybe for the first and only time. There was a wide array of unrecognizable tunes, but they all had the signature catchiness that accompanies most of her well-known tracks.
Charli XCX looked fantastic in a red outfit with a visor, her long hair coming out the top of it, swinging around often. The stage at ExchangeLA was very fitting for their show. It’s a club, and obviously it caters to the production that usually comes along with dance music. They took full advantage with a fun and infectious light show.
Charli XCX and SOPHIE closed their set with some of the singer’s more recognizable tunes. The latest single “After the Afterparty” had people singing along despite it being a relatively new one. It was followed by “Boom Clap,” one of my 7-year old niece’s absolute favorite songs, and then “No Angel.”
The show wrapped up closer to 1 AM than 12:30 and people didn’t seem too bothered by it. As someone who got less than four hours of sleep before a 5 AM start at my day job, I have no regrets.
There were two fun opening acts on the bill. DC-based trio SHAED turned up the heat as the first act. Singer Chelsea Lee brought a lot of energy and the crowd was pretty filled out despite it being the beginning of a very long night. “Running Through the Fields” was the highlight of the set for me personally.
Electronic producer Montell2099 came up next and spun a solid set that traversed a multitude of genres. People reacted pretty happily to a Justin Timberlake edit that came later on in his set and it was a good appetizer to SOPHIE and Charli XCX’s main course.
Red Bull Sound Select’s #30DaysInLA is reaching its midway point and it seems to be flying by too fast. We will next be covering Tuesday’s HAIM show at the Fonda Theatre, perhaps the show I have looked forward to more than any other.
Photos courtesy of Tim Aarons
