Armed with murderous feminism, flawless choreography, neon blue hair, and a killer setlist, Ashnikko dominated the Roadrunner stage.
When Ashnikko was in Boston last, the zany London-based vocalist overtook Paradise Rock Club to promote her 2021 debut album, DEMIDEVIL. To celebrate her return and latest release, WEEDKILLER, Bostonians sold out Roadrunner for her.
Her name flashed in lights above the entrance to the new Brighton venue. Lines of Ashnikko’s passionate fans—adorned in bright, elaborate rave-inspired gear—crammed down the block for entry. Ashnikko’s fans are eager, exciting, and have a contagious fervency for her and her inclusive nature, her advocacy, and her feminist rhetoric.
As the crowd began to swell and concertgoers packed themselves in, it was evident that Ashnikko needed a bigger venue—next time, fingers crossed it’s TD Garden.
The lights went out and the audience was introduced to Ashnikko’s opener, New Jersey-based rapper and singer, Audrey Nuna.
Nuna, clad in a white oversized t-shirt and skirt, captured the crowd with smooth, fast-paced tracks like “IdgaF,” “locket,” and “damn Right.” Her setlist was infused with pop sounds, industrial accents, and was reminiscent of trap music.
Nuna’s humble nature paired with her seamless confidence that emerges when she raps is remarkable and impressionable—multitudes of audience members were snatching their phones out from deep pockets, looking her up on Spotify and bookmarking her page.
Nuna’s catchy performance was fitting for the idiosyncratic style that Ashnikko presents, and amped up the crowd for the main act.
After a brief intermission, Ashnikko mercilessly stormed the stage with the WEEDKILLER single “You Make Me Sick!,” a raw, hate-filled, catchy revenge anthem, accompanied by white flashing lights and cutting choreography that mimicked the track’s murderous themes.
Flanked by flawless dancers Lexee Smith and Patience Aquart, the trio created an otherworldly stage that was—unsurprisingly, knowing Ashnikko—canopied by two large inflatable vibrators. Ashnikko’s advocacy for women to control and love their own bodies, sexuality, and minds is one of her greatest attributes.
The WEEDKILLER tour comes as a visually stunning support to the narrative of the album—a dystopian, post-apocalyptic theme that runs effortlessly throughout the album, its lyricism, and the tour’s imagery.
Ashnikko egged on Bostonians to sing with her on her next songs, “STUPID” and “Working Bitch.” Without hesitation, the entirety of Roadrunner was singing the anti-fuckboy anthems back to her. Ashnikko is unique in many ways, but her ability to encourage and unearth previously-shamed feelings of feminine power is unprecedented.
In between songs, Ashnikko laughed at the tightness of her corset, which was clad in rags, moss, and weeds. As her team loosened her up multiple times throughout the first half of her set, she shrugged, giggling with her adoring crowd, and said, “Gotta breathe, am I right?”
After proudly showcasing WEEDKILLER tracks “Don’t Look at It” and the cleverly-choreographed “Super Soaker,” Ashnikko returned to her DEMIDEVIL roots, playing fan-favorite “Slumber Party,” a fun, loving, and lustful track celebrating her sexuality. Smith and Aquart playfully tied up the singer with thin red rope in an impressive dance sequence.
Following “Slumber Party,” Ashnikko took her crowd back to her 2018 EP, Unlikeable. She explained what the project meant to her in retrospect, and played “Invitation,” a passionate, sing-along anthem about the importance of consent.
As the night went on, Ashnikko crooned hit after hit, including “Cry,” “Cheerleader,” “WEEDKILLER,” and her biggest song, “Daisy.”
One of the night’s standouts was Ashnikko’s medley of her “Halloweenie” tracks—songs she releases every Halloween that emulate her love of all things visceral, crawling, and creepy. She ended the medley with her latest installment, “Halloweenie IV: Innards,” a catchy, eerie tune infused with samplings from “In the Hall of the Mountain King.”
Ashnikko is one of the most enthralling artists of today. Unapologetically herself, she is able to conjure an electric atmosphere that promotes and inspires self-love, inclusivity, femininity, kindness, and consent.
