During my brief trip to Boston, I had the incredible opportunity to attend and photograph Ashnikko’s sold out performance at The Roadrunner in Boston. As I found my entrance to the venue, the entire street was already filled with fans dressed in DIY outfits for the show and everyone complimenting each other for their hard work. After I entered the venue and waited in the photo pit for the opening act, there were fans gifting small trinkets to all the photographers such as little plastic ducks and geese. Soon after, Royal & The Serpent came to the stage to deliver what I consider the best performance I’ve seen her give after being a fan since 2021 when I saw her perform at Emo Nite. Her dances were incredible and super avant garde and her presence on stage felt incredibly grandiose. She also sang with great vigor (as she always does) and the entire audience followed her lead as she had everyone wave their arms and cheer. By the end of her set, she had the entire crowd warmed up for Ashnikko and announced her return to Boston for a solo show in the summer. After a brief wait, Ashnikko hit the stage with the entire audience roaring with excitement. Her stage was inspired by Alice in Wonderland with a sign saying 2 for 1 Boyfriend on the left and another on the right saying Full Frontal Lobotomy Here. The whimsical appearance would also match Ashnikko’s outfit as well as her dances throughout the show. Coming fresh off her new album Smoochies, the pop singer would fill the majority of her set-list with songs off the album as well as her earlier hits.
What makes this show stand out from literally any other concert I’ve been to in my life is her insane set-list consisting of 24 songs and lasting shortly over 2 hours with no breaks or encores. Just her, her dancers, and her theatrics. While I’ve gone to arena concerts with the same length and have seen Coachella closers get close to the same runtime, Ashnikko’s felt different because she delivered an stadium styled performance in an intimate setting with no breaks. I already had respect for her since being an artist is a difficult job as it is, but this set gave me so much more appreciation for her because she set a high standard with the performance. With songs like Microplastics, Trinkets, You Make Me Sick!, and Full Frontal, Ashnikko had the entire venue roaring for her and playing along with her in a way that very few artists can achieve. Her interactions with the crowd were also beautiful to witness as she complimented her fans for their outfits. At one point she received a painting that a fan made for her and kept it on display for the rest of the night, and even called out a fan for their hard work in making a puppet replica of her. This show was genuinely one of the most creative, intimate, and communal performances I’ve ever seen as both her and the fans made the experience feel like something that I’m going to look fondly for years to come. The North America tour is now complete in 2026 so you will have to wait for announcements of new concerts in your area, until then you can enjoy our exclusive photo gallery from Boston on May 16th just below.
Article & Photos By Hector Mendoza (@mendoza_photos)
