Neon Hitch at Lollapalooza 2010: Live review

Photos: Lollapalooza 2010 Sunday
Photos: Lollapalooza 2010 Saturday
Photos: Lollapalooza 2010 Friday

The hopeful pop idol's introductory set failed to go without a…wait for it…hitch. Wah wah. Sound problems plagued the Betty Boop–voiced gypsy, a quirkier Ke$ha with Kate Bush ambitions. Laptops don't like the rain. Or maybe sound men. Go figure. To date, nobody has heard much original material from Neon Hitch, as she's begun to build buzz by crafting clever cover mash-ups ("refixes," as she dubs them) for blogs. Today she gave the crowd a sultry version of Duke fratboy Mike Posner's "Cooler Than Me," just so folks could sing along to something they've heard on MTV. Otherwise, our predicted breakout star of 2011 delivered what clearly sounded like club-ready cuts covered in Benny Blanco's fingerprints. Over electro pulses and a trio of conga players (from Baltimore), the Brit trilled that her hand was better than a man, and that she can tame a man like a wild animal. Later, as the field began to fill, break dancers bum rushed the stage. So far she's sticking closely to the Gaga/Ke$ha route when she has such a fascinating back story. I eagerly await the songs about being homeless and rooming with Amy Winehouse. She threw candy to the crowd and vogued in a Mayan-like mask, itching to be on a bigger stage, professionally swallowing the glitches with a wide smile. Her wardrobe consisted of a gauzy green, gem-encrusted cape over black spandex bikini (she made it all herself). A man behind me yelled, "Take off the construction netting!" Brace yourself, Neon. There's more where that came from.