Concert Review- FKA Twigs Body High Tour is a Show That Brings Performance Art to the Techno Scene
About 5,500 attendees made their way through the back alleys of supply stores, fish markets, and even train tracks in a never-ending line that wrapped around Miami’s Factory Town. All there to see the ethereal rave renegade, FKA Twigs, at her sold-out show. Each person was unaware that they were about to witness a performance where art and electronica intersect.
Doors opened around 8 p.m., and the opener, Eartheater, took the stage at around 8:30 p.m. She summoned the crowd in with her siren sounds. Her melancholic, dreamy, and alternative pop sound with a traplike undercut made the crowd sway and sing along. Her setlist consisted of 7 songs that were reminiscent of Lana Del Rey’s Lust for Life era and A.G.Cook. She was the perfect warm-up before the woman of the hour arrived to spellbind everyone.
In the intermission, I was finally fully able to see how everyone styled themselves for this event. Twigs had brought the grungy industrial style of the underground German rave scene to the bustling technicolor streets of Miami. Chromatic studs glistened under strobe lights, and there were chunky boots as far as the eye could see. Looking around made me question, did people do the Beghain simulator before heading out?
Some opted to go for something more in the realm of Twigs’ mystical aesthetic. With more medieval and celestial vibes to their outfits, featuring airy laces and metal chains. Truthfully the crowd looked like a sea of angels, fallen angels, and aliens. Factory town, ironically located in an abandoned factory, was the perfect stage for FKA to take as the first stop on the Body High Tour. The venue provides a feeling of partying right in the street with an electrifying energy emerging as the sun sets over the city. It was the perfect setting for Twigs’ first show in Miami since 2014.
The lights began to dim at around 9, and out emerged the enchantress herself, FKA Twigs. Starting the show off with her transformative classic, Mirrored Heart, she cracked open the crowd’s soul to fill it up with her light. Followed by Meta Angel and an unreleased song titled Bluebird, she showed us the ways love makes us vulnerable and lonely. Twigs stage presence makes the concert feel as if she is casting one big beautiful spell on everyone.
After reining the crowd defenseless to her powers, she sped up the tempo and moved into hits from Eusexua. Transitioning from album to album but still remaining seamless and flowy was a challenge Twigs made look effortless. In fact, she made everything look effortless, from the constant choreography to breath control and boundless stamina. I left with a greater respect for her as a performer.
Drums of Death shifted the night into a more gungy and grimy atmosphere. The crowd was jumping and headbanging as the bass decimated the dancefloor. The crowd was moving, but not as hard as Twigs. Her choreography ranged from contemporary to contortionist.
At times, you could find her in a human pyramid or upside down on one of the poles secured on stage. Not a single beat was missed by her or her dancers. During Mary Magdalene, Twigs became a human fan as her stiff body was spun around and around. It was a moment that left me standing with my jaw on the floor.
The entire show was a highlight, but my favorite songs performed that night were Stereo Boy, Sushi, Papi Bones, and Striptease. Stereo Boy was a song I loved on the Afterglow album, but hearing it live took on a deeper meaning. Hearing Twigs singing right in front of me made every lyric feel like a dagger of truth to the heart.
As soon as Afterglow came out, Sushi quickly became my favorite song off the album. So getting to be able to hear it live with my friends was what I had been craving since first hearing the song. Being able to express myself by voguing and clicking my fan wasn’t just liberating to me but to everyone involved in this celebration of joy.
Seeing Papi Bones live has been a dream of mine since the song came out. Miami felt like the best location to bring Papi Bones’ energy too. Being home and hearing a song that already reminds you of home is an unparalleled experience. I would go back to those three minutes and 40 seconds for any money in the world.
Striptease was perfectly arranged on her set list and was an amazing way to end the night. After teasing the crowd throughout the show with multiple mixes of Striptease, she finally performed it second to last. I am fascinated with the idea of teasing a song throughout a show as a way to build momentum, and she executed that flawlessly. When all is said and done, FKA Twigs can say she did her opening show of Body High Tour perfectly.
