March 6, 2017 | Jaxx Artz
You know how you have a bunch of different playlists, all with different titles? Maybe one is titled “sad” and another is titled “Summer” and another is simply “Chill.” Each playlist is full of different songs by a variety of artists, each curated across genres to fit a specific mood, ready for whenever that mood strikes.
Attend one live K. Flay concert and it’ll blow your playlists out of the water.
I saw K. Flay live last week at the Bowery Ballroom, a cool venue that serves up live music and refreshments. She was on tour, hitting up the favored spot before moving on to Buffalo. It’s a good thing, too, for her fans were excited to see her perform live.
Rob, a thirty-something from Washington D.C., had come to New York specifically for the concert with his wife and a few friends. “I’d listened to her on Music Choice Radio and thought it’d be fun to take a spontaneous trip to the city for the weekend,” he said.
Dani and John, who recently moved to New York from Australia, had a similar story. Dani discovered K. Flay on Spotify while searching for new American artists to listen to and found out about the show soon after. “We live close to here so we were excited to come out for the night and listen to good music.”
All around the venue, in fact, were like-minded people of varying age and gender who no doubt traveled from a wide-range of places to see K. Flay in person. Her music appeals to many, whether 18 or 40, male or female. And once the concert began, I could see why.
She opened the show with “Everyone I Know,” a slow-starting ballad that introduced the audience to her style of mixing low beats with a fun and fast chorus. Immediately, the crowd became one, swaying like a wave reaching the shore for the millionth time. After that, the range of K. Flay’s music became apparent.
“Sunburn” was next, another song that made my head bop but revealed an unexpected component to K. Flay’s music: rap. The verses were quick and clever, and I found myself googling the lyrics to keep up with the experienced fans around me who knew each word.
The rest of K. Flay’s set was a blend of rap, pop, and rock, mixed with intricate bursts of vibey beats that made the crowd come alive. The subject matter varies, with songs about love, sadness, drinking, and surviving mixed together, expanding past the typical tones that match each sentiment.
“I’ve written a lot of songs, and some of them have been about getting fucked up,” she said softly into the microphone, introducing “Black Wave.” The fast and loud music that picks up around the chorus, she said, is something she does because sometimes you just want noise and something to scream and dance to, especially in the world we live in today. The bridge perfectly sums up this sentiment: “How did a girl like me end up in a world so mean?”
By the end of the night, I knew I would be adding her songs to my various playlists on Spotify. Besides the catchy beats and honest lyrics that make up K. Flay’s music, I think I most admire the inspiration she draws on. Whether it’s about loving someone who only sees you as a friend or being so angry you just need to scream, K. Flay’s raps and slow ballads are written carefully, her word choice perfectly encapsulating how it feels to be by yourself and thinking through your feelings.
K. Flay’s story is one that is woven intricately throughout her songs. Take a listen and you’ll figure it out.
A version of this article appeared on Odyssey Online‘s New York University community page.
JAXX ARTZ 