liamg516 Blood Orange kicked off the first night of a six-show residency at Brooklyn Steel on November 29 and 30, turning the familiar North Brooklyn venue into an unusually intimate space. Dev Hynes (Blood Orange) has long been known for blurring the lines between pop performance, chamber ensemble, and experimental art project, and this series continues that tradition by adopting a circular, in-the-round stage configuration that shifts the dynamic between audience and performer. The result is an experience that feels smaller, closer, and more collaborative than the venue’s usual layout.
For fans who’ve followed Hynes’s evolution-and for those who first encountered him in previous high-profile supporting slots, such as opening for Harry Styles in 2022, the residency offers a rare opportunity to see the scope of his work presented fully on his own terms. The in-the-round design plays a decisive role in that. By placing the musicians at the center of the room and surrounding them with audiences on all sides, the production removes the conventional “front” of the stage, encouraging a different kind of engagement. Gestures and interactions between the performers become visible from every angle, and the physical proximity creates a sense of shared space that supports the introspective nature of Hynes’s writing.
Alex English
The evening opened with a set from Alex English, whose understated approach fit in well with the overall aesthetic. Their performance emphasized mood over volume, pairing soft vocals with minimal electronic textures that filled the room without overwhelming it. English’s set established a contemplative baseline for the night, and proved a fitting prelude to the more expansive, multilayered performance which followed.
Photos by Liam Gillin. All images © 2025 Copyright Liam Gillin ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
Blood Orange at Brooklyn Steel NYC
Soon thereafter, Hynes was joined by co-collaborators Dillon Tracey, Tariq Saleem Al-Sabir, Ian Isiah, and Eva Tolkin. The members of the group exuded a high degree of cohesion, with individual responsibilities fluctuating from song to song. Instruments and vocal lines flowed effortlessly among performers, and with the help of the in-the-round staging, these exchanges were able to become fully part of the show’s visual vocabulary. With little recourse to dramatic lighting and staging effects, the production kept its attention focused on the musicians.
The set rested heavily on *Essex Honey*, Hynes’ 2025 release, which has been characterized by its textural detail and emotional restraint. Live, these songs gained additional depth. “Look At You,” “Thinking Clean,” and “Somewhere in Between” benefited from the 360-degree acoustics created by the central layout, with the mix distributing evenly across the room. The arrangement encouraged the audience to listen with unusual attentiveness, and even sparse passages carried clearly across the venue.
One of the standout moments of the evening came early: a reinterpretation of The Smiths’ “How Soon Is Now?”. Stripping away the original’s iconic rhythmic tremolo, Hynes and his collaborators recast the track as a slow, atmospheric composition, highlighting its underlying melancholy rather than its urgency. The choice demonstrated Hynes’ ability to take the familiar as material for subtle reinvention.
The rest of the set balanced new work with cuts from across the Blood Orange discography. “Saint,” “Best to You,” “Sutphin Boulevard,” “Champagne Coast,” and other long-standing favorites were greeted with clear enthusiasm, but the performance avoided nostalgia in favor of continuity. Older songs were presented in arrangements that complemented the new material rather than standing apart from it, underlining the consistency of tone and thematic focus that runs through Hynes’ body of work.
A defining feature of the residency is the decision to record each show and make it available to attendees as a limited-edition CD about thirty minutes after the performance. The initiative reinforces the project’s emphasis on presence and ephemerality, offering fans a tangible document of a show designed to feel singular and site-specific. Each night of this Brooklyn Steel series shows how Blood Orange challenges the musical experience with staging and spatial design. This November 29 performance cemented Hynes’ continued interest in crafting environments that are as carefully considered as his compositions themselves; the show was at once intimate in its scale and ambitious in its conceit. It is a compelling close to a year in which, through Blood Orange, he has emphasized collaboration, subtlety, and a singularly personal approach to live performance.
Photos by Liam Gillin. All images © 2025 Copyright Liam Gillin ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
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