Lead singer Sabina Sciubba of the Brazilian girls strutted onto the Prospect Park bandshell stage this past Friday night twirling a white parasol. And, the parasol was only the beginning of the weird fun that was to come. Pictures of craters were circulating on the giant screens behind the band as Sciubba called out to the crowd “Come with us!” And the otherworldliness of keyboardist Didi Gutman’s pulsating hip-hop beats were nearly hypnotizing to the audience, who were on their feet as soon as the show began.  The craters, the parasol, and Sciubba herself had set the scene for their international otherworldly fiesta. 

Throughout the concert, Sciubba constantly interacted with the crowd, and the more she spoke, the happier the crowd became. The audience especially went over the edge when she called out, “Who are you, New York?” She even spoke candidly about the upcoming election, exclaiming “This is a time of hope!” Sciubba herself is from Brooklyn, and she affectionately said, “We missed you, Brooklyn!” They introduced several songs from their upcoming album, entitled “New York City,” and most notably was the wickedly fun song “Losing Myself,” which Sciubba introduced by saying, “I highly recommend it.” She channeled the attitude of a 1980s Debby Harry and bounced around the stage, while bass player Jesse Murphy and drummer Aaron Johnston laid down their consistently danceable electronic beats.The song spoke of losing one’s identity in a relationship, but the Brazilian girls effectively established their cutting edge stage persona with this song. They are an effortlessly cool band, and Sciubba’s international accent is only the beginning of their appeal. However, not a trace of pretentiousness could be found, and they showed genuine enthusiasm for their music and their fans.    

A few songs into the concert the Brazilian Girls played “Don’t Stop,” arguably their most popular song. Sciubba and her mates morphed the sexy trance-like “Don’t Stop” into a synthesized beat-heavy anthem, over which Sciubba sang out, “Its not about the way I look.” It was a refreshing new take on a song which is perhaps most familiar to Brazilian Girls fans, and Sciubba’s messages of self-empowerment could even be called inspiring. The delivery of “Don’t Stop” embodies what the Brazilian Girls do so well. The combination of Sciubba’s feisty attitude and fearless vocals with the band’s unceasingly interesting layers of electronic beats, reggae melodies, and everything in between strikes the exact right balance.

Right before playing their hilariously dirty song, “P***y” (feel in the blanks as you will), Sciubba walked on stage with a baby in her arms. The song is definitely not family friendly, and the sight of the baby in Sciubba’s arms was hilariously ironic and sweet. “P***y” was easily the highlight of the night, and the whole audience sang along with their lazy reggae-tinged chorus, which makes references to certain herbal supplements. The Brazilian Girls maintained the goodness of song’s the album version, with its raw reggae trombone and synthesized keyboards, but added to it a level of fun only found in a live setting, especially with the sound of thousands of fans singing along.  At the end of the song, Sciubba, in her cute French-sounding accent, said sweetly, “Everybody smokes weed!” and the audience screeched in delight.  

At one point, a green map of the world circled behind Sciubba and she pointed out countries and cities. “London! Boston! France! Russia!”  It was hands-down the most appealing geography tutorial ever led. Sciubba herself was raised in several different European countries before settling in Brooklyn, and their band has a distinctively international feel. And, to see them in concert is to participate in an enlightening cultural experience.At times their sound channeled a Goth opera or cabaret, infusing their sound with the jazzy feel of a Parisian café. The next moment, the band was inviting a birthday party of American pre-teens up on stage to dance to a hip-shaking bossa nova groove.  This embodies the band’s flexibility and universal appeal. At a couple of moments, the weirdness level climbed a little too high, such as when red lights bounced off of the stage as an organ droned on.The audience seemed a bit less responsive during these intermissions, but the band quickly pulled everyone back together with a crowd please such as “Me Gustas Cuando Callas.”   

The opening acts included Brooklyn’s own Ticklah, a electrified reggae band who played an excellent set. Second came Miranda!, a Peruvian dance pop group, and they got the crowd of their feet. It was great to see the contrast between these two opening acts, and for those who came just to hear the Brazilian girls, Miranda! and Ticklah’s sets were pleasant surprises. The Brazilian girls, who after playing for a little over the 90 minutes, reluctantly said their gracious good-byes, saying “We could keep on playing, but this is a neighborhood!” They thanked the audience several times, and showed a refreshingly genuine appreciation. It was a beautiful New York summer night, and the Brazilian girls rocked Brooklyn.

words by Alexis Smith, photo by Ilya Smirnov