Little Dragon @ Rock and Roll Hotel - 10/17/2018
Little Dragon at Rock and Roll Hotel (Photo by Mauricio Castro / @themauricio)
Little Dragon aren’t used to small crowds these days. Last year, in support of the smooth Season High, the Swedish electronic-meets-R&B band played two sold-out nights at 9:30 Club. But still, there’s always room for change. They’ve signed to Ninja Tune Records, one of Britain’s most important independent labels and currently home to the likes of Bonobo, Kamasi Washington, ODESZA, and more. With a soon-to-be-released new EP led by the clubby single “Lover Chanting,” the group has a lot to be excited about. And so did the fans that were able to snag a ticket to their intimate show at Rock & Roll Hotel, a venue less than half the size of 9:30 Club.
Though singer Yukimi Nagano didn’t have as much space to dance around, she and the rest of the band still commanded the stage The crowd swayed along in bliss on “High” as the band let the beat ride, and they had the crowd dancing until they were sweaty on “My Step” and “Ritual Union.” Drummer Erik Bodin moved over to the drum pads alongside Nagano for an intimate performance of “Little Man,” where the four were packed so closely to each other that it could have been mistaken for a living room jam session. With fan favorites like the Nagano-featured SBTRKT track “Wildfire” thrown in for good measure, their set had all of the ingredients required – fan favorites, deeper cuts, tight-knit camaraderie, and a whole lot of dancing - for an epic night of music.
The Lover Chanting EP will be released on November 9 through Ninja Tune Records.
Opening for Little Dragon was DC’s April + Vista. April George (on keys, vocals and violin) and Matt Vista (on programming and bass) have proved to be an increasingly hot-ticket item in the DMV and beyond with their captivating blend of R&B, jazz, soul, and electronics. It was a perfect fit for the Little Dragon crowd that intently took the performance in with very little background chatter. Their EP You Are Here is out now through Otherfeels Recordings.
