Nikki & Rich at the Roxy Theatre

Nikki and Rich hit the Roxy Theater in Los Angeles for their third show at the iconic Sunset Strip venue. Having previously played the Sunset Strip Music Festival and an opening slot for Macy Gray there, the duo and their energetic band came ready to headline and share new material from their newly released EP, Finally Free (free to download on their website). Opening band Johnny Swim set the mood for a show that was equal parts throwback jazz, contemporary hip-hop, and sensual R&B.

As a guy/girl duo, Nikki & Rich shine in what they individually do best – Nikki as a powerful vocalist with a range of vocal scale and emotion, and Rich as a producer sound in nearly every genre (made evident by the ska and reggae interludes and reworks of songs he adds to the live set). Together, and with the aid of a first rate band, they proved to Los Angeles that they embody all the genres they come from and adore.

While most of their set featured entirely unheard tracks, the crowd favorites were “Cat and Mouse,” “Same Kind of Man,” their current single, “City Lights (featuring Fabolous),” and Nikki’s breathtaking cover of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow.” Having witnessed every LA show that Nikki and Rich has ever done, I came away from the night with an appreciation of the aggressive direction they’re taking to be more than a throwback band. Instead, they’re two multi-faceted performers with a taste for excellent music, despite the genre, and a talent for making music that could just as easily be coming from a jukebox as it could a popular radio station.

Cedar Pasori, Los Angeles