You Heard It Here First: Woodkid

Woodkid-Teatro Franco Parenti-April 2013

I'd like to introduce you to the artist who is currently taking over my Spotify, Woodkid. We first discovered Woodkid back in April at Teatro Franco Parenti during the Design Week Festival. The first word that comes to mind when describing Woodkid's music is EPIC! Just click on the link to his website and you'll hear what I mean! The two men beating huge drums conjures up images of tribesmen preparing for battle. The Franco Parenti theatre venue really complimented the dramatic feeling of the music. The ceiling is sloped so that the further into the hall you go the higher the ceiling gets. The black-and-white films projected behind the band matched the monumental sound of the music perfectly. This is no surprise since Woodkid, aka Yoann Lemoine, is a music video director. He has directed videos for artists such as Katy Perry, Taylor Swift, and Lana Del Rey, just to name a few.

Woodkid - Villa Arconati - July 2013

Woodkid - Villa Arconati - July 2013

On Wednesday evening, LL and I drove to Bollate to see Woodkid at the Villa Arconati Music Festival. The Villa Arconati is an 18th century villa that looks like it's trying to be Versailles. The outdoor stage was set-up beside the villa. Since this was only our second time seeing Woodkid and he only has one album, I wasn't sure what to expect. The show was a mix of mellow, melancholic ballads and larger-than-life anthems. LL and I both agreed that Woodkid's music should be the soundtrack for the next Batman film! Woodkid cracked some cheeky jokes and engaged the audience by shouting out, "Wake up, Milano!" 

Woodkid - Villa Arconati - July 2013

The best part was the surprise at the end. Woodkid and his band came out for an encore after what seemed like a short show. He invited some people to come dance with him on stage. I'm not sure if this was planned or not, but the whole crowd rushed up to the front and no one stopped people from hopping over the security barrier and climbing the speakers to get on stage. After watching about a dozen people do this, LL and I decided to take the risk and get on stage too! We danced, we sang, we jumped, we screamed! LL brought his GoPro and got the whole thing on video. We'll be watching that years from now when Woodkid is too famous for his fans to climb up on stage!