3OH!3 at SOMA and House of Blues

3OH!3, the Boulder, Colorado electronic duo, performed at both SOMA San Diego and House of Blues. Their electro-pop party music was inescapable in the late 2000s, and their live shows delivered maximum energy with minimum pretension.

The Late 2000s Electro-Pop Moment

3OH!3 emerged during a specific moment when electronic production, hip-hop influences, and pop sensibilities collided. Bands like The Bravery, Cobra Starship, and 3OH!3 made music designed for clubs and parties - synth-heavy, bass-driven, and unapologetically focused on having fun.

Sean Foreman and Nathaniel Motte created 3OH!3 (named after the 303 area code for Boulder/Denver) as a party project, and it became a phenomenon. "Don't Trust Me" was everywhere in 2008-2009 - on the radio, in commercials, at parties.

The Lyrics Problem

Here's the thing about 3OH!3: many of their lyrics haven't aged well. "Don't Trust Me" contains lines that are misogynistic and crude. "Starstrukk" isn't much better. The humor was supposedly ironic or satirical, but it often just came across as offensive.

Looking back, it's hard to defend some of these lyrics. The late 2000s had different standards for what was acceptable in party music, but that doesn't make the content okay. You can acknowledge enjoying the music at the time while recognizing the problems with the messaging.

The Performance Energy

Whatever you think of the lyrics, 3OH!3's live shows brought undeniable energy. Two guys with backing tracks, jumping around, getting the crowd moving, creating party atmosphere. They weren't trying to be serious artists; they were trying to make people dance.

At SOMA and House of Blues, the crowds were young and ready to party. "Don't Trust Me" got everyone jumping despite (or because of?) its problematic content. The energy was infectious even if the lyrics were questionable.

"Starstrukk" featuring Katy Perry (on the recorded version) worked as a party anthem. The electronic production was catchy, the vocal interplay created dynamics, and the hook was undeniable.

The Electronic-Pop-Hip-Hop Blend

3OH!3 represented the mainstreaming of electronic music in pop contexts. They took hip-hop's swagger, electronic music's production, and pop's catchiness, creating something that worked in clubs and on radio simultaneously.

This democratization of electronic music - making it accessible to mainstream audiences - had value even if the specific execution was often crude.

The Boulder Connection

3OH!3 came from Boulder, Colorado - not exactly a hub for party music. The juxtaposition of wholesome college town and raunchy electro-pop created interesting tension. They were college kids making music for college parties, which explains both the appeal and the problems.

The Guilty Pleasure Question

Is it okay to enjoy music with problematic lyrics? Can you appreciate the production and energy while acknowledging the content issues? 3OH!3 raises these questions in stark ways.

My take: you can acknowledge that you enjoyed the music at a specific moment while also recognizing that the lyrics were often terrible. Context matters, but so does accountability. The late 2000s party scene had problems, and 3OH!3's lyrics reflected and amplified those problems.

The Live Show Format

3OH!3's live shows were essentially two guys performing to backing tracks - not live instrumentation, not complex musicianship, just energy and performance. Some might see this as less authentic than traditional bands playing instruments, but it fits the electronic music tradition where the performance is about energy and presence rather than instrumental virtuosity.

The Cultural Moment

3OH!3 captured a specific cultural moment - the late 2000s when electronic music was infiltrating pop, when parties were documented and shared online, when ironic misogyny was somehow considered humor. That moment has passed, and good riddance to some aspects of it.

But the music served its purpose - it got people dancing, it created shared experiences, and it captured the energy (and problems) of that era.

The Verdict

3OH!3 at SOMA and House of Blues delivered high-energy party music that worked in the moment but hasn't aged particularly well. The production was catchy, the energy was real, but the lyrics often crossed lines from edgy humor into problematic territory.

If you danced to 3OH!3 in 2008-2009, you're not a bad person. But it's worth thinking about what we found acceptable then versus what we should accept now. Music can be fun and problematic simultaneously, and 3OH!3 exemplifies that tension.

They made party music that soundtracked a specific moment, and that moment has passed. Some things should stay in their time.