FFFF Live Review: Santigold

Santigold

Santigold took the stage late, in a flurry of gold pom-poms and a heavily adorned jacket, which she quickly lost as the crowd thickened and pulsed. The oddball Philly pop star blends anachronistic influences into modernized hip-hop, compositions that could easily stand on their own; but Santi White takes them far beyond that. Flanked with two stone-faced dancers, she puts on shows like Broadway productions, with choreographed dance moves scripted by her booming songs. Her Fun Fun Fun set at Auditorium Shores had prerequisite outfit changes, not to mention a two-person horse costume. "L.E.S. Artistes" showed off White's rich vocal prowess, while new tune "GO!" from this year's Master of My Make-Believe, originally sung with the Yeah Yeah Yeah's Karen O, demonstarted that White's star power can stand alone. For the spiky "Creator," she increased her dancing courtesans with plucked crowd members. Before launching into her rap-howl hybrid of the sinister tune, she gave quick instructions, "Dance, and don't touch my ladies."