COBRAH snaked her way into Thalia Hall, 1807 S. Allport St., for two nights March 7 and 8 for her Succubus Tour. This Swedish-born talent has a way with naughty words and has never been shy about her sexuality or her queer identity.
COBRAH is part of a growing collective of electro-pop queer writers and producers who express themselves with heavy beats and hyper-sexual lyrics. Trans pop singer Kim Petras and bisexual bop slinger Slayyyter have recently shown similar work with this form of activism to take back the narrative from men. Several concert t-shirts of all three of these female powerhouses could be seen sprinkled throughout the mixed crowd who came to support this out and proud singer on opening night.
Before the March 7 show started, COBRAH spoke with fans at an intimate meet and greet where she signed merchandise. While some may have expected her to state that Petras was her major influence, she instead confessed that another German performer, Nina Hagen was an idol. It reflected the maturity needed not to follow trends and instead focus on original theatrical pieces of art.
Once the doors opened, DJ Latex played tunes such as Charli XCX's "Unlock It" in front of a curtain while wearing a gas mask to make recognition impossible
After 9 p.m., the set was over and the curtain dropped to reveal a blonde bombshell, COBRAH, in a tight black outfit strutting out in high heels across the sparse and smoky stage. She immediately knew where her lighting was and hit choreographed poses highlighting the drum and bass. She used backing tracks instead of a live band, and no backup dancers were in sight. Instead, the crowd handled the dancing chores in every corner of the historic venue, from the main floor up to the second-floor balcony and private opera boxes.
"DIP N DRIP" from her self-titled EP kicked things off with a rapid-fire of raps and pounding bass. She later confessed to her envisioning this song being played live one day while composing it and described the experience as a dream come true.
"Debut," from that same 2021 record, came next, with breathy vocals about satisfying a woman in every way possible. It was difficult sometimes to tell when one repetitious track began and ended, unless COBRAH stopped to speak to the patient and adoring throng. Some of her diehard fans had waited over three hours for this late show following the meet and greet, and had traveled from other states.
COBRAH served piping hot "Tea," and "U Know Me" built up anticipation that drove the masses in front wild for the encore. "Feminine Energy" was the perfect track to play during Women's History Month with plans of a "bisexual dynasty" and confident energy running inside her body. She channeled that energy into the crowd for opening night in the Windy City.
Her song "Tequila" was tailor-made for the Pilsen neighborhood and the spirited multitude of drinkers focused on her every word.
She slithered around on a leather bench, singing about salvation and temptation underneath a cross. Pushing the boundaries of sex and feminism has empowered the artist to move further into that realm. The singalong track "Bang" matched the set perfectly with lyrics "tied down, strapped up, facing the floor."
COBRAH played a game to see who knew the words and learned quickly that Chicago could sing and should not be underestimated. She put the spectators in a trance with her repeat of rhymes, and just like Kaa in The Jungle Book, the fans trusted her snakelike charms. A safe space had been cultivated by COBRAH, where a rainbow of representation was given the freedom to dress and express themselves authentically. At this concert, gender-neutral bathrooms were not just a requirement, but an expectation for ticket holders to be honored and respected.
At just over an hour in length, this goth Barbie, high-energy dance party with the graphic "Good Puss" and fan favorite "Brand New Bitch." She accomplished what she set out to do and left people craving for the second night. If folks missed this unique individual this time, they can catch up at cobrahcore.com before she slithers back soon to look for more prey.
