Nikka Costa Sasses With a Funk Intensity

Like the title of the Nikka Costa tune says, “Everybody Got Their Something.” And on Saturday, the funky diva showed a capacity Knitting Factory crowd that she’s got a lot of something good.

Costa, the 29-year-old daughter of late arranger-producer Don Costa, enjoyed an early pop career overseas. But her U.S. debut album, released earlier this year, projected a more streetwise vibe somewhere between the neo-soul of Macy Gray and the positive hip-hop of the Roots.

On Saturday, the singer-guitarist’s agile, powerful voice had a feral dynamism that recalled Chaka Khan, while her sassy, down-to-earth persona and songs celebrating individuality underscored her kinship with Gray.

With her eight-piece band, she offered just over an hour’s worth of hard-hitting, free-wheeling tunes that blended R&B; and rock a la such old-school acts as Wild Cherry or Kool & the Gang. But it was updated with hip-hop and electronic-dance elements as well as a funk-metal intensity akin to the Red Hot Chili Peppers and a few Zeppelin-esque space-rock moments.

With keyboards, samplers, sax, trumpet, guitar, bass and percussion at their disposal, the players worked their grooves into a sweaty frenzy, only slowing the pace momentarily for a mid-tempo ballad.

Conducting the ensemble with equally high energy, Costa danced joyously and was generally charming. Even if you didn’t much dig her style of vocal gymnastics, she used the yowling sparingly and, most impressively, was always on key.