With a full moon rising into Aries, the outside air thickened with condensation and chaos. A crowd of leather-clad, platform-stomping fans ascended the stairs to the Skyline Stage at The Mann in Philadelphia. As everyone waited for Ashnikko to take the stage, fans passed around compliments to each other with warm and open hearts. Branches of trees hung down, framing the misty night sky while thousands of eyes remained fixed forward to pooling smoke on a cobalt stage.
With just as much mystique as the living and breathing nature surrounding, Ashnikko took to the stage not a moment too soon. In a flooded haze of diffused light, music swelled and the show began. Opening with high energy hits like “You Make Me Sick!,” and “STUPID,” the tone for the evening was set early on. Accompany the production of these powerful songs was the inclusion of dynamic movement by Ashnikko and their dancers, reinforcing the impact. From back-breaking bends to elaborately staged posing, every single moment of action was directed with exciting intention.
In the few moments of stillness between songs, Ashnikko told beautiful folk tales of sunlit meadows and mossy tree trunks in the quiet womb of a Philadelphia forest. With even the tiniest of glimpses into the fervent and beautiful inner world of the incredibly talented Ashnikko, the capabilities of their imagination were evident in every word. Spinning the webs of elaborate fairy tales and painting scenes in the sky with stars, Ashnikko carried the crowd on an adventure beyond the venue.
Taking due time to touch on sensitive subject matter that inspired many of their first songs, no stone was left uncovered. All avenues of expression were touched on while keeping the show moving at a digestible tempo. The setlist included heart-hitter songs like “Dying Star” and “Invitation” right alongside hype-building beats “Tantrum” and “Chokehold Cherry Python.” Each thought tied into the next, which ultimately allowed the show to unfold beautifully in front of the crowd. Processing each complex thought proposed through an enticing performance allowed for the span of Ashnikko’s range to be put on display. Overall, the performance felt completely whole and was a fulfilling progression of emotions to experience, within the theatrics of a show.
