In line for CSS‘ show, I noticed there were people dressed up in costume. The band were known for wild shows but never in that way, and these folks were dressed as vikings and faery folk. Turned out I was at the wrong venue. CSS’ show was at Webster Hall but at nearby Irving Plaza, where I was mistakenly at, it was the annual Stevie Nicks tribute party Night of 1000 Stevies. Oops! I’m sure that was fun, but Webster Hall only needed one Lovefoxxx to make the show a total rager.
How have we survived without Lovefoxxx for more than a decade? As she noted on stage Saturday night, CSS, on their first tour in over a decade, are all now 40-year-old women, Lovefoxxx remains the high-energy, hair-flipping, utterly charming quote machine she was during the band’s Peak Hipster days. This show was a total joy from start to finish.
While there are more phones and less free cans of Sparks than the last time I saw CSS (2007?), the crowd at Webster Hall was there for it too. After being warmed up by Sloppy Jane, CSS took the stage to Vengaboys’ “We Like to Party” which set the tone for the night. The band took the stage to thunderous applause and woo-hooing, opening with “CSS Suxxx,” and from there it was pretty much all hits, including “Music is My Hot Hot Sex,” “Hits Me Like a Rock,” “Alcohol,” and more. Lovefoxxx began the night in a puffy black jumpsuit but peeled off layers throughout the set in DIY costume change fashion, eventually revealing a glittery leotard, looking like an aerobics instructor by way of a disco ball. In fact, Lovefoxx offered up “Move” as a campaign song for Michelle Obama or for senior dance classes, and later, for “This Month, Day 10,” led the crowd in synchronized arm waving.
Halfway through the show, CSS covered Madonna’s “Hollywood,” noting that at the same time Madonna was in Brazil playing a show in Rio to 1.6 million people and that Dua Lipa was in NYC too. “We are all connected to Dua Lipa!” she declared. Introing “Teenage Tiger Cat,” Lovefoxx noted “This song is about cats now we’re writing about cats…it’s the natural evolution.”
The night closed with “Let’s Make Love and Listen to Death From Above,” “I Wanna Be Your J.Lo,” and “Art Bitch” before they tore the place down with dance-punk ripper “Alala,” which was when Lovefoxxx revealed the sparkly catsuit, sent the audience into hysterics, and crowdsurfed across the second half the song before bouncing back up on stage to finish the song. Upon saying good night, the Vengaboys came back on the PA and had the whole crowd dancing again; if we weren’t immediately ushered out by the staff (there was a late-night party next) we might’ve danced all night.
Check out photos of the whole night by P Squared, plus lots of fan-shot video and CSS’ setlist below.
“It’s been so long I heard that song
It made me sweat when I sang along
And even after all this time that went pass by
It hits me like a rock and I still don’t know why” – CSS, “Hits Me Like a Rock”
If CSS’ reunion tour is coming to a town near you, go.
CSS @ Webster Hall 5/4/2023
CSS Suxxx
I Love You
Music Is My Hot Hot Sex
Hits Me Like A Rock
Alcohol
Move
Dynamite
Fuck Everything
Hollywood (Madonna cover)
City Grrrl
Teenage Tiger Cat
This Month, Day 10
Red Alert
Let’s Reggae All Night
Let’s Make Love and Listen to Death From Above
I Wanna Be Your J.Lo
Art Bitch
Alala