Chromeo, A-Trak, Kid Sister Keep It Freaky

By Jake Guidry in Arts & Entertainment on Nov 1, 2010 7:20PM

When Chromeo came into town this weekend to headline the second annual Freaky Deaky, it marked the fourth time we'd seen them play in the past two years. But whether it's the first, second, or eighth time we've seen the electro-funk duo take the stage, one thing remains the same: they put on a hell of a show. So, when they were joined by the likes of A-Trak, Kid Sister, Theophilus London, Gemini Club and Zebo, it went from a hell of a show to a wire-to-wire, apeshit dance party.

Much like last year's Freaky Deaky, the supporting acts warmed up Congress Theatre with both live and DJ sets. Kid Sister's set was especially energetic, accompanied by the emcee skills of Theophilus London and Kid Color on the decks. Adorned in KISS makeup, Kid Sister was frenetic and full of life on stage and brought her songs with ferocity. Theophilus London also brought a nice dynamic to the electro-hop, his flow contrasting well with Kid Sister's. It set the stage well for upcoming Chromeo.

Chromeo's entrance was a familiar one. Their "Intro" track from Fancy Footwork blasted over the speakers, the crowd chanting "Chromeo, oh, oh" right along with it. Also in KISS-face, Chromeo took the stage to an erupting crowd and got right down to business with "I'm Not Contagious", a highlight on their newly-released Business Casual.

While Chromeo essentially stuck to their usual live antics and gimmicks, the updated material made Freaky Deaky 2 not just a rehash of the previous year's show. With an expanded repertoire that includes even more bounce, the entire set was an exercise in aerobics. Dave 1 was his usual playful self, conversing with the crowd in between songs, and P-Thugg made full use of his prowess on the vocoder. While there were more similarities from last year's show than we'd like, it's hard to ask a duo that's been writing an album and touring pretty regularly to completely recreate their live experience. Not to mention their current one is really pretty awesome.

A-Trak completed the KISS costume and closed out the night with a DJ set for the few thousand that remained. Though we've also seen him play a few times in the past couple years, A-Trak's set was the most diverse we'd seen from him. Incorporating his impeccable scratch skills, electro, hip-hop, nu-disco and dubstep, A-Trak threw in so many genres into one set that he reminded us why he is one of the best in the world. One of the memorable moments was his "Robot Rock" beat juggle routine which, although we've seen before, is quite amazing to see live.

Considering the success of both years, let's hope Freaky Deaky becomes a tradition.