A glitching screen lit up before New York-based singer Blood Orange’s name appeared in bold letters. Lined with various instruments, the stage captured the artist’s unique appeal.
Dev Hynes, known as Blood Orange, performed at Austin City Limits Music Festival on the Beatbox stage Sunday, showing off his musical abilities by combining genres, instruments and effortless yet spellbinding presence.
Opening with “Somewhere In Between,” the singer donned a murky green short-sleeved shirt over a grey long-sleeved shirt and blue pants. Hynes’ distressed hat was secured by large headphones replacing typical in-ears, which made him seem more connected to his music than to his headliner-sized crowd.
When Hynes moved to the synthesizers, an electronic instrument that changes audio signals, backup singers Ian Isiah and Eva Tolkin took over main vocals, their voices powerful enough to be main performers on their own.
A pause in the show allowed crew members to bring out an electric cello, which Hynes played for a cover of Bjork’s “All Is Full of Love.” Many festivalgoers were in awe at the haunting yet elegant performance.
Getting his moment to shine, drummer Dillon Treacy executed a killer solo that transitioned into “Vivid Light.” The crowd waved their hands as blood-orange lights shined on stage, signaling the start of “Wish.” The melancholy song marked one of the many times Hynes switched the set’s vibe, going from funk, to EDM, to indie-pop.
Keyboardist Tariq Saleem Al-Sabir proved Hynes only hires the best of the best, his soulful, commanding voice hitting high notes while the spotlight shone down for “Mind Loaded.”
Turning pink, the stage vibrated as “Best to You” rocked the crowd, Isiah and Tolkin jumping up and down while keeping steady vocals. Hynes once again took over on keys. The iconic half-pink, half-orange cover of his single “Dinner” was projected onto the screen for “Bad Girls,” Treacy showing off again as the audience screamed along to the fan favorite.
“Uncle ACE” showed Hynes’ guitar skills with an almost three-minute-long solo filled with riffs and impressive chord transitions. “Charcolal Baby” showed the singers’ harmonizations while the crowd anticipated Hynes’ most popular song, “Champagne Coast,” which, with heavy base and drums, cemented Blood Orange as one of this years’ best ACL performances.
