It's immediately clear when entering the Belasco, Downtown L.A. on Saturday, June 15 to see Russian rave-pop group Little Big that this is going to be a party. Everyone's dressed up, with squid hats and lobster claws and wild suits all over the place. This is no ordinary show.
There was no opener, so it all got going at 8:30 p.m. and it was over by 10. So when the DJ walked on and asked us if we're "ready for LIIITTTLLLE BIIIIIIIIIIG?" we most certainly were. Images of dinosaurs, strawberries with trippy faces and other oddities were beamed out as the main duo -- Ilya "Ilich" Prusikin and Sonya Tayurskaya -- burst into joyous opener "I'm the Best."
"Joyous" is certainly the right word. Prusikin dances like a madman, Tayurskaya commands the stage like a boss, and through it all it feels like we're guests in their whacky imagination.
The pair have been based in the U.S. since the Russian invasion of the Ukraine, which they vehemently oppose. The situation over there is awful, but we're certainly glad that they can feel at home here. At the Belasco, the party tunes just kept coming: "Hardstyle Fish," "We Like Flintstones," "Mustache," "Lobster Popstar" -- all are absolutely nutsoid crazy, and delightfully catchy.
The cover of the Ramones' "Blitzkrieg Bop" is a riot, "Big Dick" is self-explanatory, and "Skibidi" is a pop anthem for the ages.
If you get a chance, go see Little Big.
