LMFAO’s performance in Columbus was a mixture of hilarity and awkwardness, strung together with beer bongs, excessive crotch grabbing and booty shaking.
The duo of Redfoo, whose real name is Stefan Gordy, and SkyBlu, whose real name is Skyler Gordy, played Tuesday at a partially-full Nationwide Arena.
It certainly delivered a high-energy performance that came with a complete set of male back-up dancers and one female dancer who made full use of her, um, assets. Giant inflatable zebras and palm trees, dancers shuffling in a two-person zebra costume and a full bar were components of the two-level stage.
For most of its set, I couldn’t decide if it was an on-stage party or just a staged party, but it’s important to keep in mind LMFAO doesn’t take itself seriously, and I can see why with a set list of “I’m Sexy and I Know It,” “I’m in Miami B—-,” “Shots,” “I am Not a Whore” and “Party Rock Anthem.”
Redfoo, the afro-sporting icon of the duo, changed from tight to tighter pants between almost every song. SkyBlu, his counterpart, hacked his long, stringy mop top from the “Party Rock Anthem” music video for a more tailored look, complete with a red sparkle suit. The music video for “Yes” played on screen behind the stage and showed just how much LMFAO changed in appearance since it first stepped on the scene in 2009.
Though the duo’s shenanigans were fun to watch, it was opener Far East Movement and special guest Quest Crew who brought their A-game.
Quest Crew, season three “America’s Best Dance Crew” (ABDC) winners, gave a dance set exponentially longer than the performances on ABDC, which was impressive to see live. In the middle of LMFAO’s set, when I was starting to lose hope, the headliners backed off and Quest Crew made full use of the stage making its headspins last longer than Redfoo’s pelvic thrusts. One headspin started in the middle of a hula hoop, which the dancer shimmied up his body and to his legs while spinning. The crowd ate it up.
Far East Movement, a four-part Asian-American group best known for its chart-topper “Like a G6,” performed directly before LMFAO. The set was a hybrid between a Black Eyed Peas show and an old-school Beastie Boys concert. It kept the energy up, but in an old-school hip-hop, gold chains and floor-length white coat kind of way.
The band did a few songs incorporating its true musical talent with a keytar and electric guitar. It closed with “Live My Life,” a single from its new album “Dirty Bass,” which features the vocals of Justin Bieber. The Biebs was not in attendance Tuesday night, much to my dismay.
Far East Movement thoroughly entertained me with its liveliness and refreshing style. It even slowed things down when it brought out vocalist Mathew Koma to help perform “Rocketeer.”
Vocalist Eva Simons officially kicked off the Sorry for Party Rocking tour, presented by Cherrytree Records, to a scarce crowd early in the evening. Shortly after, DJ Sidney Samson followed with a performance that was of the same caliber of those seen at Ugly Tuna Saloona on a Friday night. Samson played good songs, he just didn’t do much with them.
The theme of the night was party, and the artists corroboratively accomplished that. LMFAO as a standalone I’m not sure would be as great, so Cherrytree Records made a good move by capitalizing on LMFAO’s party reputation to bring audiences a mini summer music festival.
