Vockah Redu - 9/25

“Soon Vockah Redu hit the stage — a tall, commanding presence in an outra- geous space-age outfit right out of Grace Jones or Labelle, topped off with crazy glasses made out of cigarettes. (Shades of Lady Gaga, pardon the pun.) I wish I’d had the presence of mind to take a photo but I was too stunned to think of something like that. Their DJ kicked in some kinetic electro-funk — I believe the kids call it “sissy bounce” — and then Vockah Redu proceeded and continued to rock the mike. Three backup singers, two of whom were transvestites, belted out catchy call-and-response chants and ingenious hocketing vocals that called to Africa (not to mention Balinese ketjak singing), and harked back to the play- ground chant aspects of the Nawlins classic “Iko Iko,” not to mention early ’80s electro hip-hop like Afrika Bambaataa and Soulsonic Force. I wouldn’t be sur- prised if the lyrics were pretty raunchy, but it had a gospel-like passion, a burning, defiant pride. It was “just” dance party music, but it was life-affirming. I almost wept, it was so great. The fact that they’re from the resurgent New Orleans made it even better. My SXSW had been redeemed at the very last moment: 3:00 AM Sunday morning, to be precise.” -Michael Azzerad, You and What Army