Iggy Azalea w/ Walk the Moon – UMN Homecoming at TCF Bank Stadium, Minneapolis (17 October 2014)

DJ Mad Mardigan

The football team leads its Big 10 conference division, it was Homecoming weekend, and two of the biggest acts of the year had been booked in, to play a sold-out concert at TCF Stadium, Iggy Azalea and Walk the Moon (with MN Timberwolves DJ Mad Mardigan spinning before and between sets).



Though seemingly disparate on paper and playing very different styles of music, both acts nonetheless were universally accepted by the frenzied crowd of 10,000 mostly students, that had packed into just a few open sections along the south side of the stadium. Instead of using the main but distant scoreboard video screen (like last year), two smaller but much closer screens were wisely set up at the right and left sides of the open sections and the stage itself was constructed on the field, but butted up against the lower level, so that everyone could get a good view.

Walk the Moon

Walk the Moon is a Cincinnati-based foursome, that’s named after a Police song, and concocts infectious, alt/dance-pop melodies which they deliver with high positive energy, that makes everyone take notice. In advance of their upcoming album, Talking is Hard (due in December on RCA Records), the band is on their short “Shut Up and Tour”, and the song name the tour is based on, has already topped the Spotify charts.



Traffic was a mess around the stadium, streets had been blocked off for the Homecoming parade, and the band had started a bit early, catching many off guard, but the Ohio quartet was clearly grateful to be playing. Starting with hit, ‘Tightrope’, the band played a buoyant and upbeat 45 min. set, that showcased both cuts from the upcoming album, and songs from their major label debut.

Walk the Moon: Nicholas Petricca

The band (Nicholas Petricca: lead vocals, Keys/Synths, Kevin Ray: Bass, Sean Waugaman: Drums and Eli Maiman: Guitar) moved quickly from song to song, keeping momentum going, with Petricca asking, “You come here to dance, or what!?” before going into the synth-heavy ‘Jenny’.



“It’s our job to make sure you’re taken care of tonight”, Petricca pledged, and new single, ‘Shut Up + Dance’ started with a churning Edge/U2-esque guitar riff. ‘I Can Lift a Car’ had singer Petricca briefly in the crowd and the biggest response of their set, was expectedly for the set-closing hit, ‘Anna Sun’. Look for the band to return in 2015 to tour the new album.

Iggy Azalea

After prolonged chants of “Iggy” and “Iggy-Sota”, smoke swirled around the stage with a full elevated staircase and DJ Wizz Kidd fired up the intro music as Iggy Azalea, two backup singers, and four dancers in black and white leotards, all took to the stage for the bumping, ‘F**k Love’.



Azalea and group kept things moving, working in 16 songs in just less than 50 minutes, with Azalea so cool in movements and delivery, it was at times aloof, not that the restless crowd minded at all. The Australian singer is out in support of her debut, The New Classic (Virgin EMI/Def Jam), bolstered by the hands-down song of the summer with Charli XCX, ‘Fancy’.



‘Don’t Need Ya’ll’ had Azalea and crew taking a breather sitting halfway up the stairs, which was short-lived as previous single, ‘Change Your Life’ was next, followed by the female-empowering ‘Pu$$y’, culled from her 2011 mixtape, prefaced by an infamous Eddie Murphy/Grace Jones film clip from 1992’s Boomerang.

Iggy

Azalea even found time to work in songs by others that she has guested on, including Jennifer Lopez’ ‘Booty’ and T.I.’s ‘No Mediocre’, and of course, Ariana Grande’s ‘Problem’. Current radio hit, ‘Black Widow’ and smash, ‘Fancy’ were saved for the end, with Azalea asking Wizz Kidd “ Where the bass at?” with he replying, “Turn it up, turn it up!”



Those that missed Azalea are in luck, as she plays Saturday Night Live on TV this week and a series of Jingle Ball concerts across the country in December, including a stop in nearby St. Paul, in just six weeks. The football team went on to win their Saturday game as well, so things are still sweet at the University of Minnesota.