“A Worship to Eroticism” Ashnikko’s Smoochies tour in Chicago

I have to preface this by saying that I am a huge Ashnikko fan. I’ve been listening to her music since before her DEMIDEVIL album release in 2021, and I attended her 2022 tour for the same album. All of this to say that this review will have a bias present. 

Needless to say, this show was amazing. Ashnikko is not only a singer, but also a performer, something that was especially clear this April 3rd at the Aragon Ballroom. Her opener, Princess Nokia, with whom she has collaborated in the past on one of her most popular hits, and one of my personal favorites, “Slumber Party,” set the scene for what was to come. Princess Nokia is known for her pop and rap-like melodies and attractive stage presence, and, like Ashnikko, she embraced her sexuality on stage. Due to unforeseen circumstances, I wasn’t able to catch her entire set, but that does not mean it was anything short of fabulous, and the audience most definitely agreed. People were jumping, singing her lyrics back to her, and feeling the energy radiate throughout the venue. Her song “Tomboy,” which is one of my favorites, was very exciting to hear live. The crowd must’ve agreed, as it received high praise, with many excited voices beaming from the audience. 

After Princess Nokia was done, the crowd was able to take some time to breathe before Ashnikko took the stage, and it was here that I was really able to notice everyone’s outfits. If you’re unfamiliar with Ashnikko or the Smoochies album and tour aesthetic, there is a huge focus on trinkets and maximalism. At every concert, Ashnikko crowns a “Smoochie Girl,” which goes to an audience member who has an above-and-beyond outfit themed to her and the album, and the energy from fans definitely did not disappoint. People came dressed in everything, from stickers and layers to fluff, colors, stockings, stuffed animals, and more that I cannot describe. Chicago’s crowned “Smoochie Girl,” who introduced themselves as Ashley, had an outfit inspired by their grandmother’s sewing kit, featuring a huge needle adorned on their head, with lots of balls and rolls of string, and other sewing accessories placed within their outfit. They also had tassel nipples and “hairy toes,” which consisted of more tassels on the tips of their platform shoes. Their outfit was beautifully crafted, and they were not the only ones, as many people showed up looking extravagant, hoping to earn the title of “Smoochie Girl” at Chicago’s concert. Not only this, but in order to further promote this tour theme, Ashnikko has a “trinket box,” which refers to a trading post where people can bring their own trinkets to leave, and take another's trinket home (think lending library rules). It was really cool to see how much creativity was brought; it blew my mind as it was the most themed I’ve ever seen an audience. 

Ashnikko came out around 8:30 in a top with buttons on her boobs, and a microskirt (a reference to her song “Itty Bitty”) with her undies peeking out of the bottom singing her song “Sticky Fingers,” a hit off her new album, and when she took the stage you could tell the audience was breathless, well they would’ve been if they weren’t screaming their hearts out. As the album is themed around trinkets, it began with her falling through a little door in her purse, which is how she came to perform. This theme allowed her and her two very talented dancers to add many props throughout the performance. Her dancers came in as crows; they had fur coats, they used lockets and door frames, and, overall, they used a lot of prop-work. I give ‘props’ (see what I did there) to the set designers as they truly went above and beyond in the creation of many of these pieces, and they fit perfectly into her performance. It only enhanced the viewing experience as it teleported us, audience members, into the world she was building around her album, making it a more immersive experience. You couldn’t peel your eyes off the stage even if you wanted to.

I mentioned her dancers before, but I have to take a second to really admire their work during this, and every performance, I’m sure. Ashnikko and her dancers have impeccable chemistry. Based on the title, it is clear that there were sexual, sometimes very explicit, dances happening during her songs. If you’re unfamiliar with Ashnikko, I must tell you that this is very in character. She is notoriously a very strong, body and sexually positive performer, and her dancing truly took the set to the next level. They were grinding and acting in other ways of sex, using chairs, and being very comfortable together in order to show the nature of a lot of her songs. It was a lot of fun being able to witness it in the audience, as it was a moment of enjoyment but also empowerment. Sexuality is something to be proud of, and Ashnikko definitely proves that with this, and every, album she has released. 

She was able to cover a lot of the songs from her Smoochies album, while still being able to add in favorites from her WEEDKILLER and DEMIDEVIL albums, which added more appeal to her older fans who have been supporting her longer than others. My favorites from the night include “Slumber Party,” of course, as this was one of the songs that solidified Ashnikko as one of my favorites. “Trinkets” is very on brand, but also a great song to listen to as it has such an interesting melodic beat that is amplified by some sound modifiers, and “Frontal Lobe,” which I didn’t listen to much before seeing it live, but since then, it has taken on a completely different and new meaning and appreciation for me. As a long-term fan, it was exciting to hear oldies like “TANTRUM,” “Toxic/Invitation,” and “Daisy,” of course, and seeing them for the second time, especially, was really cool, as I had the background experience from her 2022 tour. “Daisy” was the song she chose to finish off with, as it is still one of her most popular anthems.

Ashnikko's performance made it a fantastic night; she was confident and powerful, with amazing music, great backup and prop work, and a crowd that was here for it all. Absolutely hanging on to each and every word of hers. If you ever have the chance to catch Ashnikko live, count yourself lucky, as she is an impressive performer with a wide range of creative ideas and a plethora of skill and talent. 

All photos are taken by me, and I've also included a few more below.

♡♡♡ Iva Perić

Ashnikko addressing the crowd

A fan brought a toilet seat with "MEN" written on it

During her "Working Bitch" song

Ashnikko coming out of the 'little door' in her purse