Hesta Prynn Timewarp

It was a major time warp Saturday night at Webster Hall. Girls decked out in spandex, lace, and puffy dresses stumbled around in droves from the Awesome 80s Prom being held on the main floor, while downstairs in the Studio, music fans were treated to a free set by Hesta Prynn that sounded, well, 80s. I found myself uncontrollably wishing my girlfriend had crimped her hair before she met me at the show. Oh well.

Prynn, a member of white girl rap trio Northern State, is less about the rhymes these days and more about distorted bass lines, dance-y guitar riffs, and driving rhythms. This isn’t music that you can exactly sink your teeth (or your brain) into, but songs like “Coming Up” and first single, “Can We Go Wrong” showcased Prynn and her merry band of hipsters ability to turn out effective and ultimately enjoyable Franz Ferdinand-esque dance pop, while “Seven Sisters” saw her successfully slipping back into her old rhyming ways. The set was short, weirdly so it seemed, but as a result the energy remained at full tilt and the hardcore fans were left pleading for more.

Prynn is not much of a singer, nor does she really seem to care. Her mission is to make people dance and judging by the ubiquitous smile embedded on her face and the reaction of the large crowd (free or not, it’s hard get people out these days), mission accomplished. Either that or one of those prom kids spiked the punch bowl. Prynn is taking her act to Austin for a series of SXSW shows and if she struts and shouts the way she did Saturday night, she stands to be very successful there.

-Charlie Duerr