NNAMDÏ at The Crystal Ballroom, 10/28/22
Singer, songwriter, rapper, producer, multi-instrumentalist, and composer NNAMDÏ sought to avert his focus to art and avant-garde pop with the release of his newest full-length LP, Please Have A Seat, in 2020. The Chicago-based artist took a detour from his alternative rock roots to create an album that was more accessible to the everyman. With PHAS, NNAMDÏ draws inspiration from modern pop, hyperpop, rap, R&B, and jazz. His use of auto-tune, unorthodox guitar, complex harmonies, and what could be the cleanest falsetto shifts known to man gives his music the ubiquitous “NNAMDÏ-esque” label. NNAMDÏ’s North American tour is a no-joke experience, with the artist playing every single song off of his LP along with a few classics. The artist leaves everything he has on stage, giving the audience something to truly write home about.
Pink Navel opened the show and initiated the NNAMDÏ training session that inexperienced audience members needed before witnessing NNAMDÏ perform. Navel demonstrated a comedic, yet technically sound set that filled the stage with their presence while not taking themselves too seriously. The Maine-based artist, originally hailing from Marshfield, Massachusetts, is armed with nothing but a sampler and microphone. Despite performing a flurry of upbeat, highly innovative beats, Navel sits back and turns his set into a stand-up routine. Navel pays homage to the Massachusetts audience by playing the “Friendly’s” jingle while appealing to the chronically online by playing Tik Tok sounds and taking a 2-minute break to dance to “Too Good” by Drake. Their cadence is that of an overly-enthusiastic poet who loves talking about their passions, such as video games and cartoons. Pink Navel set the comedic and lighthearted mood for the night, opening the doors to a more serious and heavy one.
As deep red engulfs the stage, Joshua Virtue takes the audience by force, wasting no time in playing aggressive yet melodically complex beats and belting out bars with their whole chest. As they rap, they pace the stage, staring at the audience with a piercing gaze. Virtue eventually returns to their sampler to play songs off of Jackie’s House, their 2020 LP dedicated to Virtue’s mother. As Virtue plays “Fenti Face,” the second opening set finishes with a loud, melodic crescendo, which they relish, drinking the moment in. They become the music, mouthing out the sounds of the angelic choir in the background of the in-your-face beat. Virtue completes the second part of the audience’s necessary NNAMDÏ training. NNAMDÏ may be lighthearted and easy-going like Navel, but wants to be clear that he can be as intense and loud as Virtue. The audience, now seasoned with the two aspects that make up the main act, is ready for what NNAMDÏ has to offer.
After Joshua Virtue exits, NNAMDÏ takes the stage with “Anti,” a deep cut off his new album with heavenly harmonies and his unforgettable falsetto. The audience swarms closer to the stage, becoming drawn in by his captivating stage presence that involves moments of calm tranquility interrupted by wild, spontaneous dances and screams. His band functions like a well-oiled machine, with the two guitarists up front and center barely needing a cue or count-in to know when to start or when to take the reins. NNAMDÏ stays behind the microphone for the next two or three songs, before picking up his guitar, one of the many instruments he’s known for playing, especially in his older LPs such as Bootie Noir and BRAT. NNAMDÏ’s melodic ability for singing carries over to the guitar, where he truly makes the instrument come alive. His guitar genius manifests itself during the song “Armoire,” where NNAMDÏ keeps his audience in a trance with his unpredictable guitar tone going from clean to distorted in an instant.
Shifting from midwest emo guitar licks to heavy metal power chords, NNAMDÏ’s guitarwork leaves his audience on the edge of their seat, eventually culminating in an ethereal and dreamy ending that segues into his next song, “Dibs,” which features one of his strongest vocal performances. NNAMDÏ cycles through his entire new project without missing a beat and leaving little room for error. His voice and musical ability are flawless, with most of his live performances sounding identical to the original. Songs like “Touchdown,” “I Don’t Wanna Be Famous,” and “ANXIOUS EATER” are met with loud applause due to their authenticity to the original recording. Through and through, NNAMDÏ is one of the most consistent and impressive artists to grace my ears.
Moving along to the end of the show, NNAMDÏ shows his guitar chops by straying from the mainstream sounds of his past work and going back to his avant-garde roots. Playing songs like “Flowers to My Demons” and “Wasted,” NNAMDÏ and his band play a heavier set with jazz influences, including distorted guitar combined with chromatic and aeolian scale usage. Even with the odd picking patterns and rapid shredding of his guitarists, NNAMDÏ kept up in tight unison, showing his technical ability along with his attention to perfection. NNAMDÏ ended the night with the song “Perfect In My Mind,” a rock ballad from BRAT that features polyrhythms, odd time signatures, and a bold ending that rightfully causes mosh pits. His guitarists, drummer, and bassist shine on this song, with NNAMDÏ finishing his vocal performance and taking his bows before leaving the stage entirely to his band’s discretion. While one guitarist rams and rubs his headstock into his amp to create a screeching effect, the other begins shredding up and down the fretboard. While the drummer takes his highly technical and elaborate solo, the bassist plucks his six-string bass with a passion unseen in the performance beforehand. While this scene of cathartic release plays out, NNAMDÏ is already off the stage for the night, taking in the sounds of the audience screaming for more.
Cycling back towards the middle of the performance, NNAMDÏ shows that he is no stranger to getting the audience involved and making them want more. Crowd work is vital for the multi-instrumentalist. NNAMDÏ gives the impression that he wants no quiet or dull moments. No other song gets the audience’s attention like “Dedication.” NNAMDÏ, one for showmanship, has the audience harmonize with him on the chorus and repeat back certain lyrics. The climax of the song comes in and NNAMDÏ bounds and leaps off the stage and into the audience, completely bypassing the press rope and nearly hitting me in the process. Forming a circle of stunned spectators around himself, he sings the chorus with enthusiasm unseen before. Once back on the stage, he notices a “Whatchamacallit” chocolate bar on stage. He asks whose delicious candy confection it is, to one man’s response: a man in the front row with a well-groomed mustache who was hit by NNAMDÏ on his jump off the stage. NNAMDÏ apologizes for “rocking” him, hands him his rightful sugary property back, and makes an effort to not rock him the next time he jumps into the crowd during the song “Sudafed.” That’s right. Twice. It’s evident he does not want to mosh or throw shoulders. He goes into the audience to connect. To show his excitement to play. To dance with the people who came to see him. NNAMDÏ is here to have fun, showcase his art, and be one with his audience. NNAMDÏ invites everyone, not just himself, to live in the moment and take a minute to enjoy life. Through his latest work, he asks everyone to Please Have A Seat and enjoy the moment.