There's nothing better than a good ol' fashioned get-down at the Great American Music Hall on a Tuesday night. Blood Orange provided the ambiance and groove needed to accomplish just that. On my way to the show I thought to myself "How many people will be performing at this show? Dev by himself? Dev with a DJ and a drummer?" I was pleasantly surprised when eight people emerged onstage including both female singers who really make Cupid Deluxe one of my top three albums of 2013.
It's hard to know what to expect from Dev Hynes (Blood Orange) during a live performance because his music is so eclectic. Dev performed as Blood Orange for the first time back in 2009 while also in the band Lightspeed Champion which eventually went on an indefinite hiatus. Blood Orange's first full length album, Coastal Grooves featured one of his biggest hits "Champagne Coast." Coastal Grooves was a much different album than Blood Orange's successor, which is to be expected as a band experiments with styles. The title of the album is a pretty much a spot on description of the type of music you can expect. On his most recent album, Cupid Deluxe, you hear plenty of saxophone, some pretty funky bass and no shortage of electronic beats -- mostly of the 90's hip hop variety. While the albums are masterful, seeing Blood Orange live is a whole different animal.
The collection of talented people giving life to the unique sound of Blood Orange's music was quite a sight to see. The tracks ranged from sultry, to dance-y, to trance-y and a lot of everything in between. Almost every one of the band members are on vocals at some point in time during the show and boy can they belt. Every member of the band is essential to the show's success and to that I applaud them. Of the many shows I've been to so far this year, Blood Orange takes the gold by far.
Check out the slideshow below for some of the best moments of the night, and make sure you check out Blood Orange next time he comes through the Bay Area.
