Red Songza

On Sunday, I had two choices in music. The first was a tempting a capella evening where Retrocity and other groups would support celebrity singers Alan Frew, Dan Hill, and Lorraine Segato. But I decided that exposure to new music at the Danforth Music Hall would be better than listening to "classic hits" all the time. Ironically, the new music of UK singer La Roux (Elly Jackson) draws inspiration from 70s and 80s dance and pop.

In photos, with her flaming hair draped over one eye, the 26-year-old presented as androgynous and coquettish. Live on stage, with it gelled up in a semi-pompadour, and wearing bright jacket and pants, she came across more as an icy Tilda Swinton. Though some see David Bowie in her, her falsetto on numbers such as I'm Not Your Toy and In For The Kill reminded me of Prince, especially with that 80s sound. On new songs from her upcoming 2nd album (Uptight Downtown, Sexoteque), she stayed with her lower, natural voice and only used the falsetto for emphasis. Both old and new material had driving dance beats, so it wasn't a surprise that the drummer was placed right up front. The usual metal railing was absent, allowing fans to stand and dance right up by the stage. This allowed for lots of high fives and hand clasps from La Roux. There was only one iffy moment with a drunk dude and his inebriated girlfriend. While the bro was happy with a brief hand-to-hand, the girl held on to Elly Jackson's leg and had to be pried off.