Santigold Takes Over SODO

Santigold played at the Pacific Industrial Center on Sunday, Aug. 23.

Alternative pop diva Santigold hit Seattle last night, thanks to a wacky marketing scheme conjured up by Korean auto manufacturer Kia to push its new model, the Kia Soul, onto young drivers. Fans received passes to the show in exchange for signing up to test drive the car. I drive a Yaris and absolutely adore the thing. But I also adore Santigold, so I compromised my loyalty to Toyota to gain access to the show.

The Philly-bred songstress didn't disappoint, although her performance was plagued with technical difficulties. Just one song into the evening, the mic cut out. But minutes later, the issue was resolved and Santigold charged through an hour-long set that included her hits "L.E.S. Artists," "Say Aha," and even a tribute to Soulja Boy's "Turn My Swag On."

The crowd was animated as hell. But it was also relatively small, given the event was spread almost entirely by word of mouth. Not to mention it's ridiculously difficult to find the damn Pacific Industrial Center. (I get the feeling that the marketing folks at Kia are going to get a serious talking to.)

Santigold, whose eponymous debut album is riddled with indie rock, dub, and new wave, is a powerhouse live. Not once did her trademark banshee wail waver. Nor did her poise when the mic cut out not once, but two more times, during her closing song "Creator." Realizing that to wait for the sound to come back so she could thank the crowd was pretty pointless, she grinned and yelled a few words of gratitude before running offstage.

My only complaint regarding her performance was that it didn't include the lovely gem "Lights Out." So, although it's a small consolation prize, I've included the video for it below.