DOMINIQUE YOUNG UNIQUE at Emo’s Annex at SXSW Rating: NNNN
We’d kind of forgotten about that whole electro rap thing that was huge a few years ago, but the buzz surrounding Tampa MC Dominique Young Unique at SXSW this year was strong enough to get me to check out an unofficial day tent show.
As soon as she took the stage it was obvious why – not only does she have pretty impressive mic skills, she’s also got a ton of stage presence and charisma. Her overall sound might not be the hip new thing anymore, but that high energy party rap is still pretty effective in a live setting. One of the two guys she had backing her up appeared to be channeling Jimi Hendrix or something, throwing his battered keyboard across the stage and heavily abusing it, using effects to simulate guitar feedback chaos.
The show was definitely all about her though – you could put her on pretty much any beat and she could probably pull it off. You know you’ve got something going on when you can get an encore in the middle of the afternoon from hungover SXSW delegates lining up for free promotional whiskey shots.
