Back 2 School Bash
w/ Icona Pop & Elephant Room
August 17th
Baxter's 942
What is there to do in The Highlands on errant, dry late-summer night? I mean, especially on a Monday. I know, you should have popped into Baxter’s 4601 for 98.9 Radio Now’s Back 2 School Bash with Elephant Room and Icona Pop.
Baxter’s 942 a place which is usually closed on the generally un-party worthy Monday nights opened for this very special show with one of Louisville’s finest bands and one of pop’s most infectious artists.
Elephant Room took stage, it was close to 10:00 PM. If you don’t know Elephant Room, then just accept the fact you’re in the dark, they are Louisville based hip-hop group that makes forays into hard rock in a very non-Limp-Bizkit sort of way. It’s hard to describe until you see it. Think Rick Rubin and Jay-Z’s “99 Problems” rather than Fred Durst and “Nookie.” The comparisons are neither here nor there, Elephant Room is one of the most high energy bands in the city, with an explosive live show that revolves around the chemistry of their two lead emcees Shevy Chase and Manfred.
After Elephant Room wrapped – Icona Pop took over as hosts of the party. And if you don’t know who Icona Pop is by name, just know that they are the Swedish E.D.M./pop duo who nestled into your ear last year with the infectious chorus of “I Love It (I don’t care).” Which, for the record, when they got around to playing it in such a small, crowded room that little ear worm became so explosive I thought they might blow the glass in the windows out into the middle of Baxter Avenue. Caroline Hjelt and Aino Jawo, the two women behind Icona Pop took the reins bouncing between singing and scratching on the turn table as they worked through songs like “We Can Do This All Night” and “Emergency” – keeping the pulse in the room somewhere between a rave and a Miley Cyrus concert.
The whole party was hosted by local 98.9 Raidio Now Kobi, who kept the crowd bashing at the bash until after midnight. I’m glad the adult me doesn’t have to go back to school anymore, but I’m thankful for the thousands of students in Louisville that do start classes this week, just so we can continue to have parties like the Back 2 School Bash.
Photos by Evan Burkhead, provided by I Heart Media
