Standing in line for an hour and a half in the cold and rainy weather was all worth it. Other attendees in outfits so unique yet still cohesive with each other filed in, to the point I couldn’t even tell where the line ended. When my friends and I entered The Anthem, the lights from the stage shone pink and orange, and the growing crowd heightened with chatter and excitement, waiting to see Blood Orange. The first opener was Tariq Al-Sabir, who engaged with the crowd as he kept his upbeat attitude. Al-Sabir turned out to be Blood Orange’s pianist and one of the three backup vocalists later in the set. His music was very unique, and the crowd enjoyed hearing his songs, and in return, roared in applause after each song. Later, the second opener, TFL Trio, had the crowd feeling the same. Though their songs were slower, the instrumental band still had everyone entranced, wondering what new sound the guitarist would play every time he stepped up to the soundboard.
With the lights turning dark once again, everyone’s phones lit up to record, and Blood Orange finally came out, opening up with “I Wanna C U”. His two other backup vocalists sang beautifully and engaged with the crowd, signaling to clap to the beat or wave to the rhythm throughout the set. He then performed a cover of “How Soon Is Now?” by the Smiths on the cello, creating silence in the venue, hundreds of eyes glued to the artist in awe. He then exclaimed that he would be performing songs he hadn’t performed in years, for some for a decade, to which the crowd uproar in excitement, wondering which of their favorites would finally be heard live. For me, it was “Bad Girls”; I was so overtaken by emotion and happiness that my friend had to take my phone to record for me. Some other songs that finally saw the stage once again were “Sutphin Boulevard”, “Uncle ACE”, and “Chosen”, which the crowd appreciated very much.
Blood Orange ended his set with some very popular songs, like “Champagne Coast” and “Charcoal Baby”, to which the whole venue sang along. The lights shone and flickered to the beat, making the experience so immersive and euphoric. Before Blood Orange ended the set, he recalled how he recently visited kids at the Children’s Hospital, and reminded the crowd of the blessing of life, along with how grateful we should be for standing here alive today. This left everyone, at the very least me, enlightened and appreciative, cheering as he shared his words of wisdom. The weather didn’t match how everyone felt after leaving, making the cold and rainy weather feel like sunshine and rainbows, as everyone left the venue with a smile.
Featured Image taken by Taylar Mitchell