Concert Review: Ke$ha, LMFAO Rock UC Davi$

Tuesday's Ke$ha and LMFAO concert at UC Davis can be summed up in five words- lots of glitter and neon.

Thanks to the performers, those in attendance, mostly teen- to college-aged females, have kept the glitter and neon spandex industries in business. They filled most of the floor and upper-level seating at The ARC Pavilion.

The evening began right at 7:30 with rapper MC Spank Rock, who had an energetic set that fit right in with the rap/rock vibe of the night. Spank Rock's latest single is "Energy" and the crowd seemed to have a lot of that from the beginning.

Next up was the guys of LMFAO, who are all about "party rocking," as they describe their mix of hip hop and electro pop beats. The duo is made up of Stefan "Redfoo" and Skyler "SkyBlu" Gordy, the son and grandson, respectively, of Motown record label founder Berry Gordy.

LMFAO opened their 50-minute set with the title track off their second album "Sorry for Party Rocking." Besides throwing the standard inflatable beach balls into the crowd, the guys and their crew also tossed an inflatable zebra as well.

A few songs later, they busted out with one of their club bangers "I'm in Miami, B***h!" This was followed by their latest single "(I'm) Sexy and I Know It." Their backup dancers included people in panda and robot costumes.

Soon after was "Party Rock Anthem," the song that has made shuffling a popular dance move done even by hamsters in a national car commercial. LMFAO closed the best act of the night with their odes to drinking "Champagne Showers" and "Shots."

There was about a 36-minute break as the stage crew set up Ke$ha's two-level stage. Once she did appear, she started with a remix of "Sleazy," which is in the name of her nationwide tour, on a raised platform with LED eyewear and neon blue lighting.

I've seen Ke$ha two times previously, opening for Rihanna in Las Vegas and as the headliner of 107.9 FM's Endfest at West Sacramento's Raley Field. She is more of a performance artist than a strong vocalist, although Auto-Tune helps in some of her hits.

A former colleague of mine in Reno called Ke$ha's show there "the worst I've seen by a successful performer." I agree that she shouts her lyrics, leaving her voice sounding strained, and has minimal dance moves.

Her fans don't seem to care. It's all about a female being just as vulgar as some boys can be.

Among the early songs of Ke$ha's hour-long set was "Turn Me On" and "Blow," during which she shot glitter-colored confetti into the crowd. At least I hope it was confetti and not asbestos.

During "Blah Blah Blah," in which Ke$ha spurns a clueless guy's advances, she did what I agree with my Reno friend was a pretty lazy call and response.

"Davis, when I say 'blah,' you say 'blah," she screamed.

Her, um, wacky set, also included "Cannibal," in which she mimics eating one of her male dancers alive, supposedly drinking blood from his heart.

Ke$ha's appearance throughout the evening, including on "Your Love is My Drug," may lead one to wonder if love is the only drug she is on. Balloons were dropped from the ceiling following the number.

Later Ke$ha performed her debut single "Tik Tok" (sample lyric: "the party don't start til I walk in").

"Davis, I want you to wake up tomorrow with glitter in your panties," she said. That no doubt happened for those who laid down on the floor afterwards to cover themselves even more.

She returned for an encore of "We R Who We R." Then came a bizarre ending with a young man wearing a Santa Claus hat singing the Beastie Boys' "Fight For Your Right to Party," while the backup dancers ran around and broke an Elmo pinata that was lowered from the ceiling.

It was a trippy performance with some good music but I bet you some glitter-covered fans will tell you it was the best show ever.

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This article will also run on Davis Patch.