DeTOUR to Philadelphia

Photograph by Morgan Medl. 2022

Union Transfer- December 1st, 2022

There’s been a lot of discourse about how the clock app has affected the live entertainment industry. Regardless of this issue, this artist used Tiktok to skyrocket her already successful career and land her first headlining tour.

Blue DeTiger: 24-year-old bassist, vocalist, songwriter, DJ, and tiktok creator (with 1.3 million followers) made her Philadelphia debut this past week at Union Transfer. This penultimate show of her ‘Blu DeTour’ brought out an agreeable crowd with ages ranging from 18 to 24 with some parents chaperoning younger fans who also enjoyed the funk-filled evening.

JDM GLOBAL opened up the show with meditative beats and catchy choruses. The artist, formally known as Josh Mehling, is originally from Texas but is no stranger to the east coast since graduating from Syracuse University and building his career in Brooklyn, New York. 

Tiffany Day continued to warm up the crowd with bubbly and energetic personal experiences about shitty exes, FOMO, and optimism. She was not afraid to express herself through singles like “PARTY W OUT ME” as well as “DREAMS ABT OPTIMISM” which gave me “Miss the Rage” vibes. 

The anticipation grew until Blu quickly jumped onstage with brother and drummer, Rex DeTiger, and guitarist, Horace Bray, opening with her single “Crash Course.” They then went on to play a majority of her EP How Did We Get Here and several of her singles. The trio also performed a cover medley that included “Style" by Taylor Swift, “Glamorous” by Fergie ft. Ludacris, and MGMT’s “Electric Feel.” While most of the set was full of upbeat-funky tunes, the recently named Forbes 30 under 30 artist also slowed it down with an acoustic intro to “Kinda Miss You.” She also brought up a young, novice bass player to encourage everyone’s appreciation for the instrument, and was delighted when someone claimed that they learned bass because of Blu’s influence. The bass-forward tunes were complimented by Blu’s sparkly blue bass, Horace’s pink t, and four glistening disco balls outlining the stage. 

It is no secret that she has been performing since 7 years old as her expertise shined from the first beat to the encore of “Vintage.” Throughout the show, it was clear why she has collaborated and performed with many names including Caroline Polachek, The Knocks, Dominic Fike, and Jack Antonoff. Her talent has also landed her partnerships with DKNY, Levi’s, and Fender. 

There’s no doubt that Blu’s Tiktoks are entertaining and influential but her stage presence came to life from beyond the screen. The bass queen said herself that “there’s really nothing better than live music and sharing this exchange of energy together.” I hope I get to experience this once again with Blu sometime soon. 

Thank you to 1824° for this opportunity!

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