Kesha Blows The Roof Off The Anthem In DC
Date: September 8th, 2021
Venue: The Anthem
Washington, DC
“Now, the party don’t start until I walk in” is a fitting lyric for a Kesha concert and her fans because on this beautiful night in DC there were plenty of people ready to party. In fact, upon arriving around 7:30 pm there were lines that snaked up and down the pier outside of The Anthem multiple times over. As fans awaited entry into the venue some began to burst into song singing verses from Kesha songs as well as Betty Who. Both performers are well-loved by the DC community, so much so that it felt like there were just as many die-hard Betty Who fans as there were Kesha fans.
Finally, around 8:30 we finally made our way through the line, past security, and into the party. Just in time to catch Betty Who as she rounded out her set with her last three songs. Walking in she was dancing along with her backup dancers and the crowd as she sang “Mama Says.” The emotion and pure excitement she showed and that the crowd returned made it obvious that she and DC have a very strong relationship. Just because we got in towards the end of the set didn’t mean we missed out on all the excitement, with songs like “I Love You Always Forever” and “Somebody Loves You” the dance party was in full effect along with the crowd as many sang at the top of their lungs while dancing along.
After the stage was cleared it was time for Kesha, some time passed before we heard Kesha come over the mic and say “I’m gonna wait for everyone to get inside” because around 9:15 there were still lots of fans outside in that line we told you about earlier. As 9:30 rolled around the stage lights flooded the audience as “Low” by Flo Rida played and inflatables began to grow on stage in the shapes of a mushroom, cactus, and a rainbow. The lights then shut off as the now full venue roared in excitement.
A spotlight hit the center stage where Kesha had appeared after walking out of a metallic curtain built into the rainbow. Immediately we were thrust into Kesha’s world as she walked towards the crowd singing “Cannibal” all while two background dancers stayed by her side on all fours as she moved them along with the leashes she had attached to them. One dancer was then strapped to a torture board as Kesha began to bite into him before throwing fistfuls of glitter into the air acting as blood. Needless to say, the show had begun.
She then encouraged the fans to disconnect from the “dumpster fire” of a world outside the doors and to have a good time and more importantly be your true self. It was a warm embrace and reassurance of acceptance to the LGBTQIA+ community and really anyone at the show. This led the lights to create a rainbow as she then began to sing “We R Who We R.” As the night went on, we got a few songs from her latest album ‘High Road” which was released during the pandemic so a performance of “Raising Hell” was a true treat.
After a short instrumental interlude, Kesha reappeared on stage in a silver sequined dress to throw us back in time and crank the party up to 2012 with “Timber,” a song that found Kesha and her background dancers/singers banging drums covered in glitter, basically creating a glitter geyser on stage. Keeping with the trend of older smash hits she kicked into rock mode with “Your Love Is my Drug” before donning her personal cape and telling about her favorite club in town that features all-male dancers that often find themselves without capes and clothes in general for that matter. The cape wasn’t just for the story though, it was part of the wardrobe to accompany the fan-voted song for the evening, “Rainbow.”
Before ending the night, she gave us another newer song that encourages listeners to find their own happiness and when they do, don’t let anyone f**k it up for you as told in “Shadow.” She then demanded fans give her their clothes as different articles were thrown towards the stage during “Take It Off.” She then took a moment after the songs were done to take in the fans’ applause and the energy in the room before her last song. Then as “Tik Tok” began to play the crowd lost their minds and confetti cannons covered the crowd. During the song, Betty Who and her band ran on stage dressed as a chicken and a bunch of dicks. It truly was a party unlike any other.
For the encore, Kesha gave us arguably one of the most emotional songs in music in recent years, a song that is a reflection of her personal experiences which you may be familiar with if you’ve followed her career for a few years. Needless to say, “Praying” when sung live is a song that touches everyone in the room and still gets Kesha emotional when singing. Following the song, the crowd became a sea of hearts as fans raised their hands forming hearts. After this powerful moment, she quickly changed shirts before getting ready to tear the roof off The Anthem with her song “Blow.” As the song kicked in, she fired multiple confetti cannons into the crowd before closing out the show with a massive cannon that covered the stage and fans in confetti and glitter.
It’s hard to explain the pure energy and excitement felt in a crowd with Kesha and Betty Who fans but it’s certainly an incredible feeling you should experience for yourself. Be sure to follow along and be on the lookout for the next time she’s in your area. Keep up to date with upcoming tour dates here.
If you happened to capture any shots of the night, tag us on social media at Shutter 16 Magazine and throw in #Shutter16 and #TwitFromThePit for the world to see.
