FLASHBACK: Simon Curtis & 'Superfraiche'

As a fan of Mr. Simon Curtis since 2006, words cannot even begin to express the fun I had on April 1st, 2011 -- at the swanky Galapagos Night Club in Brooklyn, NY.

The bill included two-piece set She's The Queen, duo Databoy, the aforementioned Curtis and headliner Sky Ferreira.

I was mostly there in support of Simon, but was pleasantly surprised by the quality of pre- and post-Curtis acts that night. The club was small and packed to the brim, multi-leveled with a swirl of tables in front of the stage set on mini "lily pads" with actual water and bridge walk-ways to get from table to table (to stage). It was truly unlike any other live venue I've seen before.

She's the Queen set the night off in the right direction, mostly thanks to their fab-tastic vocalist and genuine energy. Their short set was quickly followed up with Databoy, whom I was vaguely aware of thanks to my role on Resolution Radio. Their performance was highlighted by matched choreography that quickly got the crowd properly warmed up before Simon took the stage and literally killed the crowd.

To my delight, Simon's set was the longest of all four acts, performing a handful of cuts from 8 Bit Heart, but relying mostly on brand new material from the forthcoming RΔ (pronounced "Rah" for those of you who are curious), including upcoming staples like "Don't Dance", "Enemy" and "Pit of Vipers" (his producer Jadion joked to me during this cut Simon originally wanted to dedicate it to the "escaped" Cobra from the Bronx Zoo that had become a running gag around the City). My favorite of the new cuts was undeniably "Laser Guns Up". All of these songs can be heard in snippet form thanks to Billboard and their streaming RΔ Album Sampler. 8 Bit Heart is a tough one to one-up, but it's looking like Simon is having no trouble with a potential Sophomore Slump. In addition to the new cuts, he also sang Britney Spears' "...Baby One More Time" totally acapella in an homage to Ms. Spears, since Femme Fatale was released that week.

Finally, Sky Ferreira took the stage, and considering the amount of hype behind her projects (and the fact that Bloodshy & Avant is backing her), the stakes for her project are certainly very high. There was no doubt the crowd was loving her -- she remained to be the only act that night that truly got the crowd down on the floor moving and grooving (and literally grabbing at her), as she gyrated and shimmed along in her Lolita Schtick kind of way. While I found her instantly eye-catching, I was kind of dismayed by her incredibly short set (despite being the "headliner") of around four songs. A bit of a letdown to say the least, but still very much impressed by her energy and showcased material.

Following the performances, myself and the girls I came with spent the next few hours literally dancing the night away in a sea of gyrating bodies -- it's been awhile since I've last clubbed it out till the wee hours and there's nothing quite like waking up the next morning to still having an omniscient ache in your hips, knees and the balls of your feet. Still...not complaining. The music spun at Galapagos that night read like a who's who on my personal list of amazing, including Robyn, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Sugababes, Jessie J, and yes, the new Britney record. Throw in Girls Aloud and The Saturdays and you would have had the ultimate trifecta.

It's easy to say it will come off as bias, but Simon was undoubted the star of the night, despite the fact that this was officially not only his first show in New York City, but his first trip to the City ever. I'm pleased to say I finally saw a musician I've admired and supported for so long in person! The night was made completely noteworthy because I got to see Simon in the flesh on stage, and also backstage and after his set -- and he truly couldn't have been nicer and more down to earth if he tried. Thank you, Simon, for an incredible evening -- we're ready for RΔ now, please!

In addition to Mr. Curtis, I would like to extend my thanks to Jeff "Jadion" Wells for making me feel so welcomed; Databoy, who I got to meet in person as well (I was just off to Simon's left when this photo was taken, actually); and the incredible Mr. Arjan Writes for making it all happen and bringing together four truly poptastic acts.