Live Review: Tkay Maidza

On the squat stage at Plan B Small Club, 19-year-old Tkay Maidza is a strain on the toes to see, but not on the ears: bars and bars of crystal-clear rap pour out of artist's mouth, surfing the backing track of her DJ's club-ready grime and EDM. It's been a huge year for the Adelaidian, but having come back home, she is getting a warm welcome. The Danceteria isn't quite full, but by her second track (a remix of her breakout hit, Brontosaurus) the at first dispersed crowd becomes a tight, singular dancing knot around the stage. These are also fans that know all her lyrics — more than once they actually drown her out — and from the word go, Maidza is on and has a giant, pure joy sort of grin on her face.

On stage, mic in hand, she is an unrelenting ball of energy (no easy feat on an already small stage that is made smaller by the outstretched hands of eager fans) and works through a set of her newest material, including her six-day-old collaboration with French EDM maestro Martin Solveig, Do It Right. It's a testament to Maidza's rising fame that when she tells her audience that there's a new track coming up, they raise a hand in the air to anticipate the beat and call out the track's name (also true to form, they join in on the chorus when it comes 'round). She is also a generous performer, and fosters a communal vibe with her crowd, showing them gratitude, even offering up a verse of Soulja Boy's Tell'em — Crank That, which she joined the crowd in rapping over.

Maidza stayed on even after her set: she hung around, still with that giant smile, to meet her audience and pose for fan photos.