Ashnikko @ Stage AE (9/19/23)
My most vivid memory of Ashnikko before last night is from the Winter of 2021, right after their album DEMIDEVIL was released. I remember driving home listening to the album, when I was rerouted; it had been snowing all day so the entrance to the highway was shut down from an accident. I turned around in the parking lot of a closed business, and on a whim I decided to do a couple doughnuts in the fresh snow. I remember laughing to myself while her song Cry was coming through my car speakers. That momentary decision created a core memory for me, and solidified the growing admiration that I already had for Ashnikko’s music.
Flash forward to Tuesday, I was excited to see Ashnikko for the first time in concert. Her fans are extremely loyal and the show was sold out. Audrey Nuna opened, and was met with a very eager crowd. After seeing Audrey perform, I understand exactly why she was on tour with Ashnikko. Between her confident vocals, stage presence, and overall cool factor, she had the crowd hanging off of her every word. Within the first couple minutes of her performing, I became a fan.
When it was time for Ashnikko to come to the stage, they started with “You Make Me Sick!”, followed by “STUPID”, then “Working Bitch”. During my three songs in the photo pit I felt mesmerized by Ashnikko and their backup dancers. During shows I like to put my camera down for a second and just enjoy being there. That’s important to me to solidify the memory and appreciate how special it is. I found myself doing this a lot during Ashnikkos set, just naturally. Ashnikko has a stage presence that easily commands your attention.
Ashnikko adjusted the setlist for Tuesday’s show to accommodate their voice while they are battling a cold. While on stage, they admitted to having a fever and feeling very sick but continuing the show regardless. One of the adjustments to the setlist was adding the song Miss Tangerine, which made the crowd go wild. I watched a girl that was quietly singing to her self the whole show, start jumping up and down and getting out of her shell once the first note came out of the speakers. That was probably my favorite part of the show, seeing how absolutely in love the fans were and how happy they were to be there. I saw many small moment of kindness between fans, and from Ashnikko to the fans as well. They regularly stopped between songs to check that everyone was doing okay, and reminding the crowd to stay hydrated.
Seeing Ashnikko perform this week was such an amazing experience. I hope I get to photograph, and just see them perform live again. The Weedkiller tour has just started, so there are plenty of dates left to catch a show, I highly reccomend doing so.
Photos and words by; Shelly Duncan
Audrey Nuna
Ashnikko
