Power power!

It's no secret that I love M.I.A. So when her Terminal 5 show was announced and Y offered to get me a ticket for my birthday, I was stoked. Somehow, I managed to convince three of my best friend from Atlanta to come up for the show. Days passed, weeks even. Finally the time came and Friday night we found ourselves at the new venue, teeming with excitement.

Earlier that day, I ventured over to Brooklyn Vegan to get the scoop on the Thursday night show. Reviews were mixed. Some people loved it; others hated the location, complaining that it was too massive and cold and that the beers were pricey. I don't know about you but I expect to pay over six dollars for a beer anywhere above 50th street. It's called "pre-drinking," folks.

So after a fair amount of pre-drinking in CG$, our crew took a car into the city and we arrived at Terminal 5 half an hour before M.I.A. took the stage. We hit up the bathrooms, got a drink, spent at least 10 minutes or so debating whether or not we were standing next to an aging Lady Miss Kier, and then the show began.

Donned in shiny leggings, silver high tops and a fluorescent orange stripped top, M.I.A. exploded onto the stage and killed the crowd for an amazing show that none of us will soon forget.

She played a ton of stuff from her new album, Kala, including "Bamboo Banger," "Bird Flu," "Boyz," "Jimmy" (a somewhat different version than on the album, "$20." "Hussel,"(during which Afrikan Boy joined her onstage), "XR2," "Paper Planes," and "Down River." She also pulled out some favorites from the Arular repertoire such as "Pull Up The People," "Bucky Done Gun," "Fire Fire," "Bingo," "Hombre," "10 Dollar" and "Galang." (She opened with the first song from her second album and closed with the last song from her first.)

At one point, they let people go on stage to dance. We were way in the back but decided that we needed to get in on that action. We made it all the way up to the front but they wouldn't let us on. Still, it worked out well because suddenly, we were much closer.

I like the new venue. Intimate, it's not, convenient, with its three levels of bathrooms and bars, it is. Anyone who was there Friday night would be hard pressed to call it "cold." The energy level was high and everyone looked like they had a good time. Can't wait for Justice Saturday night! Hope it's as interesting as their Jimmy Kimmel stint!