Debbie Harry and Geoffrey Dicker

Wow!  I have had so many wacky encounters with Blondie’s lead singer Debbie Harry and sadly for me, most of them have turned out pretty bad.  My curse was lifted on September 13, 2011.  Blondie was performing a concert and I had to miss it due to a previous engagement.  As the venue was on my way home, I decided to check out the scene.  Debbie was not in the mood to sign autographs for a legion of fans that were waiting to meet her, but she posed for photos with a few fans including me!  I am SO happy.  Thanks Debbie!

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There’s a reason that I go see Nikka Costa (in multiple cities) when she tours.  This is why….

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Adam Lambert and G

On July 14, 2011, I was at the Highline Ballroom in New York seeing the always amazing Nikka Costa perform.  I was kickin’ it in the VIP section when I looked to my right and saw that Adam Lambert and his friends were standing inches from me.  Bonus!  If you are a new reader to According2g, you’ll see on the “Encounters with G” section that amazing experiences like this one happen to me all the time.  Bookmark the site and check it daily – you never know what kind of crazy things I’ll get up to!  But I digress…  All of us danced all night long to Nikka’s music, which is one of the closest things you can have to a religious experience, according2g.  Nikka’s got the soul, Nikka’s got the funk and she’s an electrifying performer.  Adam Lambert, whose hair is working it in ways I can’t even describe in words, was so cool when we chatted.  As he was with friends, I didn’t monopolize too much of his time, but as you can see above, he was cool enough to pose for this really cool photo as you can see above.  Adam is working on his 2nd album and I am hoping there’s a Nikka Costa collaboration on it.  Fingers crossed!  Thanks again Adam.  Hope you had as good a time as I had!

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Nikka Costa

I’m just going to say it – I think Nikka Costa is one of the best live performers around.  Since her 2001 album “Everybody Got Their Something” was released, I’ve seen Nikka live at least 10 times in multiple cities and every time, she is amazing!  It was no different when she kicked New York’s ass on July 14, 2011 at the Highline Ballroom.  If you’ve never heard her music, you must remedy that immediately!  She packs the funk of James Brown and has the soul of Janis Joplin.  Nikka hit the stage around 9:15 PM and delivered the goods for nearly 2 hours.  She played an even mix of tracks off her latest 3 albums and also included songs from her new EP “Pro*Whoa!”

Nikka Costa

You’ll be seeing a video of “Push and Pull,” coming soon, so stay tuned – you won’t want to miss it.  Seeing that song performed is akin to a musical religious experience for me.  She hits the notes and I think the song is one of the most beautiful tracks of the new millennium.  For most bands, a song of that magnitude would be the closing number, but not for Nikka Costa.  She sandwiched it in a powerful run of songs that included the new song “Pro*Whoa!,” “Like A Feather” (which had everyone in the crowd clapping along during the chorus), the new song “Nylons in a Rip,” and “Can’tneverdidnothing.”  Nikka played percussion for a little bit, engaged the audience (which included Adam Lambert in attendance) with sing-a-longs and even got down on her knees to plead on the funk!

Nikka Costa

You do not want to miss Nikka Costa when she comes to your town!  She’s got funk that’ll kick your butt and have you begging for more.  Her new EP “Pro*Whoa!” is available online and for the Youtubers out there, she’s launched a channel called “Nikka’s Box,” where she uploads exclusive performances that sometimes feature special guests.  After the show was over, Nikka signed copies of “Pro*Whoa!” and I think it’s safe to say, everyone in attendance danced away into the night with a smile on their face.

See the set list after the jump.

Nikka Costa's set list on July 14, 2011 at New York's Highline Ballroom.

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Armand Aviram of Future Relative

Electro-pop gods Future Relative brought their irresistible dance grooves to New York’s Highline Ballroom on February 5, 2011 and what a show!  In a matter of months, the New York trio has gone from playing intimate venues to playing the Highline Ballroom, a venue that has been home to giants such as Amy Winehouse, La Roux and Recoil (featuring Alan Wilder of Depeche Mode). The band has a great stage presence and cool lighting, which includes their trademarked lit up and glowing microphone stand.  Their 45 minute set featured tracks from their EP “Fantasies” as well as a cover of IAMX’s “Nightlife.”  It was great to see the crowd dancing and getting sweaty in the dead of winter!

Nic Cooledge of Future Relative

 I’ve been in love with their EP “Fantasies” for months and it was nice to be able to pick up the actual CD at the merch table after the show was over.  You can hear great songs such as “X-Ray Vision” and “Monday Morning” on the band’s MySpace page.  I think you’ll agree that the future of electro music is Future Relative!

Lex Sadler of Future Relative

See the set list after the jump.

Future Relative

The setlist for Future Relative at the Highline Ballroom in New York on February 5, 2011 was:

Coming Alive /All Kinds Of Love / Infinite  /Eye Contact (Extended Remix) / Nightlife (IAMX Cover) / Monday Morning / X-Ray Vision

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