Blaketheman1000 at The Foundry
Opening for the LA-centric subling duo Between Friends on October 17, 2023.
Going to a concert alone always has a grounding effect to me. It gives me time to think about the people standing behind the stage door, waiting with their own anticipation while I’m standing in front of their dimly lit stage. Last night’s show at the Foundry was a reality check that the bands I’ve been streaming for years are real, performing artists who worked their way from the ground up — or at least from one city to another — to “make it.” Whatever “it” means to them personally, it’s now me and Blaketheman1000 in a room full of people somehow shorter than me.
Considering the amount of space still open in the bar lounge, I take it there are a lot of underage kids in the crowd. I point this out not to be condescending. The only person I feel sorry for is the kid with a buzzcut in his grey crewneck sweatshirt who’s already shelled out the $7 charged for a Liquid Death water can. Thankfully, Blaketheman1000 gave us a performance both worthwhile and refreshing.
What is Blaketheman1000?
Blaketheman1000 has been a fixture of the growing hyper pop scene in NYC for the past few years. He’s currently on tour opening for the brother-sister duo Between Friends on their “I Love My Girl, She’s My Boy” tour.
Blaketheman1000’s music is frenzied but ever sweet. It’s playful and sometimes cartoonish. The digitized auto tune he regularly utilizes adds a fizz to many of his songs’ upbeat, lighthearted melodies. He could easily put out a record of ringtones.
Worth noting is that Blake is also the co-manager to Frost Children, coincidentally another sibling pop duo that’s garnered a cult following in NYC. Together, Frost Children and Blaketheman1000 have collaborated on several tracks, including my favorite melody Goth. Their music makes for a fitting soundtrack to the stimulating, experimental scene of the New York City underground. In the daylight, it’s just what they call Dimes Square.
It’s been at least a year since I last saw Blaketheman1000 perform, and this is the first time I’ve seen him on a stage outside of the Empire State, which has been his home for the past few years since leaving his hometown of Los Angeles. A little bit older and his voice noticeably deeper, the 27-year-old “Downtown Dimes Square Diamond” is still a gem.
“Hell yeah, let it ride.”
Songs like “Dean Kissick” and “Pixies” are classics that showcase Blake’s specialty for short, catchy refrains. He is comedic but not in a Yung Gravy type of way. Maybe it’s the NYC influence — Blake’s lyrics have a satirical tone to them that seem to poke fun at a power dynamic that’s also displayed in his fashion choices. Lyrically, he gave himself the jeweled crown. Aesthetically, Blake dressed as a candidate for something... He wore a short-sleeved collared shirt cinched loosely with a black tie, the look pulled together with a black vest and donned with a pin that viscerally reminded me of the political campaign pins sold at every good vintage shop. He also wore a “deerstalker hat” that is commonly worn by hunters in rural areas, and popularized by Sherlock Holmes. It’s cheeky.
There were a few songs Blake performed last night that he has not yet released. But it’s good to hear him developing his sound. A song I can only refer to at this time as the ketamine pop song had richer use of lofi guitar that’s unique to Blake’s sound. Still a series of bops, some of Blake’s new music make room for something a bit wavier than hyper. It’s a warm welcome since sometimes listening to Blake on repeat can feel like you’ve listened too long to Looney Tunes.
Overall, Blaketheman1000’s performance was an excavation. His performance unearthed memories I have dancing to the first show I saw of his at the Dimes Square classic Mercury Club. The “hell yeah, let it ride” soundbyte tapped into the crowd and engaged everyone in just the right way, too. A majority of the crowd last night was discovering Blaketheman1000 for the first time. It’s exciting to see where the ride goes.
You can see Blaketheman1000 on tour with Between Friends for a few more weeks. They’ll be in New York City this weekend at Racket.
