Can I just say it was hot as hell at Central Park Summerstage yesterday. I mean, it was sweat-make-the-clothes-stick-to-you hot. And to make matters worse (or better, depending on your perspective), we were packed up in that bad boy. Yes, NYC came out to show Santi White plenty of love.
I didn’t exactly know what to expect, whether it was going to be a live band backing her or just a DJ, as was the case. She augmented her stage presence with two Janelle Monae-looking dancers who doubled as backup singers. But, with just those three additional people onstage, she set it off. Yes, live music magic happened. It was some combination of the volume of the music that gave it a physical presence–Santogold’s electro boom bap was in effect–and that fact that almost everybody knew the words to her songs.
I don’t know Santi, but she seems genuinely down to earth. For example, when people cheered and held up signs after each song, she thanked the audience. The guy standing in front of me said to his friend, "Wow, she’s polite!" And you were expecting what? I thought.
I guess her demeanor is impressive, given the deafening buzz that’s surrounded her. From Rolling Stone mentions, to writing for pop stars like Jessica Simpson, to Bud commercials, to an opening slot on tour with Coldplay. Honestly, it could all be pretty heady stuff and I can imagine that it would be very easy for someone to start believing their own hype and acting accordingly. Here’s a salute to what I hope is Santi’s genuine level-headedness and to her keeping her feet firmly on the ground.
BTW, she mentioned that for the Coldplay tour, she’ll be going out with a live band. That’s something I’d like to see.
My apologies for the less than stellar pics. There was some poor communication between me and the Summerstage PR team. Net result was that this was as close to the stage as I was able to get.
