On Wednesday night at Webster Hall, ''Electroclash NYC 2002'' brought
together some of the leading D.J.'s and performers associated with the
movement. It was the start of a three-night festival and the start of the
Electroclash tour. While the D.J.'s kept their sets short and full of hits,
many of the live performers found a simpler way to keep people interested: they
wore very little clothing and sang about sex.
The headliner was Felix Da Housecat, from
When he gets behind a couple of turntables, however, Felix's approach is
much more casual. His hourlong set was too short for him to build up any
momentum, although everyone sang along when he played ''Personal Jesus'' by
Depeche Mode.
The night's most effective D.J. performance came from 2Many DJ's, two
brothers from
The D.J. sets were separated by brief live performances that aspired to the
goofy glamour of old music videos. The best-known of the live performers was an
all-woman trio called W.I.T., which stands for Whatever It Takes; the three
showed up in matching gold dresses and lip-synced a song of their own that
went, ''Ooh, I like it/Tell me that you like it.''
The concert also featured no fewer than four white female rappers, all of
whom reduced love and lust to a series of anatomical slogans. The most
entertaining was Avenue D, a local duo. The two women shouted lyrics that let
potential lovers know exactly what they wanted, and they wore barely-there
outfits that made it easy for them to turn their demands into dance moves.
''Electroclash NYC'' is supposed to be a celebration of pleasure, but
Published: 10 - 15 - 2002 , Late Edition - Final ,
Section E , Column 4 , Page 3