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HOLLYWOOD – As of 9 p.m. Saturday night, when I arrived at the Wiltern LG, I knew next to nothing about the artist I was about to see. All I knew was that her name was Robyn, her genre was pop and she was Swedish. Which really wasn't much to go on.

However, it became clear immediately that I was alone in my ignorance; there were a significant number of people milling around outside the venue, and the show was very nearly sold out. There was a palpable aura of excitement, and it was obvious that Robyn had many highly dedicated fans. I couldn't help but wonder whether I'd missed an important memo or something.



Once inside I decided that I must have. Everyone around me seemed downright overjoyed to be at the Wiltern, which is not normal. The venue has a rule restricting access to the area right in front of the stage, even for those with floor tickets, which means that anyone without a special wristband has to either sit on the balcony or stand in designated areas. The result of this policy is that fans at Wiltern shows generally look kind of depressed. They slump in their chairs or shift their weight from leg to leg, looking disappointed and bored.

But this crowd didn't look depressed, disappointed or bored at all, even before the main attraction went onstage; they were all dancing to the tunes being spun by one of the opening DJs. Adding to the general carnival atmosphere was the fact that the show was being filmed. All the fans seemed to be enjoying dancing for the camera, smiling and laughing as they happily waited for Robyn to take the stage.

It was not normal at all.

Everything made perfect sense once Robyn's performance began. She started off the show with an Outkast song, which everyone knew and immediately began singing along to. The energy in her voice and movement was just ... fun. That seems like such a bland and boring word, but there really is something to be said for a performer who actively performs. She interacted perfectly with the audience, projecting a persona that was both ingenuous and somehow tough. Her persona was matched by her music, which is an interesting combination of feel-good pop and urban hip-hop. It doesn't seem like that combination should work, but somehow it does. She makes it work, and she makes it work well, judging by the crowd's response.

One of the most intriguing things about the performance was the fact that Robyn appeared with a live band. Since most of her songs have a pop/electronica sound, I expected her to be backed by recorded music. Instead she was accompanied by a live keyboardist/synth player and two drummers playing off each other on separate sets. During the song "Who's That Girl," the second single from her self-titled album, Robyn herself played some electric drums, and there was even a guitar used on a song or two. This really defied my assumptions about the kind of show a pop/electronic artist would put on. With the live band, the whole concert seemed very punk rock in a pop and R&B kind of way ... if that makes any sense at all. Again, it shouldn't make sense and it shouldn't work, but it just does.

Some highlights of the performance included the song "With Every Heartbeat," which is a near-stereotypical pop ballad with an urban edge, and of course the song "Konichiwa B----es." That song is another perfect example of the way Robyn takes musical components that one would think shouldn't be put together and turns them into something both fresh and familiar. Basically, "Konichiwa B----es" is a rap in the classical tradition, with boastful lyrics like, "I'm so very hot that when I rob your mansion, you ain't call the cops, you call the fire station." She takes that line and makes it seem both sincere and tongue-in-cheek, because while the rap itself is stereotypical, Robyn is not.

Everything about her was just so unexpected. Watching her rap, it was hard for me to believe that she was the same person responsible for the late-'90s pop hits "Do You Really Want Me (Show Respect)" and "Do You Know (What It Takes)." Both of those songs were immensely popular 10 years ago, and more closely fit the pop genre as I knew it. But with her live performances she made them unique by infusing them with her new style.



Looking back on the show, I'm surprised by how much I enjoyed it. The type of music I tend to listen to is neither pop nor rap, and I didn't expect to like her performance. But between the energy she put into her songs and the energy the crowd gave back, it would have taken someone much more set in their music snobbery even than I am to resist. If you hate pop, it doesn't matter. If you hate rap, it doesn't matter. If you enjoy fun, give Robyn a shot. Now that she's completed her first full U.S. tour, you're going to be hearing a lot more from her. And to quote "Star Trek," which I know makes me completely lame, "resistance is futile."