By Jack M. Angelo
An artist cannot always choose their fan base, but a fan base is often a reflection of them. Standing outside a venue just before a show begins can give you a real sense of what the particular crowd has come to experience, even as they just stand in line. The audience that came out for Ashnikko at the Fillmore in Silver Spring, Md. on October 26 consisted of mostly feminine-leaning people, often with dyed hair and flamboyant outfits. The entrance line wrapped around the block, and when doors opened, the colorful crowd piled into the venue, masked and vaccinated or recently tested.
Before Ash graced the stage, an opener, who introduced themselves as Chloe, brought out a band and played a handful of songs to warm the crowd up. The crowd overall was instantly supportive of the band. The audience could be heard squealing “they’re so cute!” about each and every member of the band on stage as they played. Even when a mishap with the sound occurred and feedback played for a bit, Chloe spoke to the audience as it happened and everyone laughed it off. Chloe then rushed off stage after a few more songs, seemingly over time, though no one seemed to mind the delay.
After a short break, and a small set of songs played by Ash’s DJ, Ashnikko finally took the stage. Surrounded by large tentacle sculptures painted with eyeballs, Ash nimbly flew back and forth across the stage, stomping and kicking around; all while dressed even more extravagantly than most of her already extravagant audience.
She played a medley of hits both new and old. Though a relative newcomer at this point in time, Ashnikko has produced a decent amount of material fit for performance in a concert setting and had a wealth of songs to choose from. No matter what she picked, the audience was guaranteed to know every word.
In just the last couple years, Ashnikko has made an incredible name for herself, and her performance ability shows that she deserves the attention she is getting. Her versatile sound and unique voice propel her to a specific audience that rocks with every move she makes. Ashnikko has found her niche audience, and can hopefully continue to cultivate it.
