Amanda Blank is more than an opening act. She’s loud, she’s crazy, and she’s not scared of anyone, but she needs an audience that’s right for her. Blank took the stage of Black Cat last Wednesday clad in something resembling a hooded leotard a la Lady Gaga — a bold move for such an unsure audience.
Matt and Kim are a tough act to precede. They sold out Black Cat, but their brand of catchy, pop-y indie rock only caters to a specific audience — one that’s not really the crowd that the rough-and-tumble Philly native is looking for. Blank’s stage setup was relatively sparse — two turntables, both managed by male DJs, proving that Blank could hold her own in the male-dominated world of hip-hop.
Playing a set consisting of newer songs from her solo debut “I Love You,” which dropped in August, and a few throwback tracks from her collaborative days with her electro-rock Philadelphia brethren Spank Rock, Blank rocked out, threw down and gave the audience an earful of her signature techy, dirty, electronic rap.
True to her roots, Blank opened with “Fly Jawn,” a reference to her town’s slang. Her music drips with unapologetic sexuality, a quality that reflects in her performance. Pantsless (as usual), hair-in-face and occasionally throwing herself on the floor and slinking across the stage, Blank gave the Matt and Kim audience an aggressive, edgy performance that took no prisoners. In “DJ,” Blank begged, “Can’t go to sleep just yet/DJ can’t you play a little harder?”
Blank was in control of her show and let the crowd know it. Between songs, one of Blank’s DJs spun a short reggae sample, joking that her audiences consistently disliked the track. Blank responded, “Well, I like reggae music. I also like boys,” she paused, “and girls.” She also may have asked the audience, “What’s up, New York?” but no one really seemed to pay enough mind.
But despite her energy and cheeky humor, Blank failed to win the crowd over until near the end of her set. Most of the crowd seemed unfamiliar with her newer material, but a few loyal fans jumped and shouted along to her Spank Rock tribute, “Gimme What You Got.”
Her latest single, “Might Like You Better,” was the peak of the performance. The three-minute whirlwind featured a jumping, ticking beat layered over an old-school hip-hop sample, a factor that was varied from her studio recording. As she finally won the entire audience over and found her confidence, Blank clawed at the audience while nearly purring, “I got something for you, believe it’s sweet/Let’s go, I moan like a cat in heat.”
Closing her set with “A Love Song,” Blank changed the tone of her set and gave a shout-out to former tour-mate and collaborator Santigold with the lyrics, “I’m a lady/Got my mind made up, got my mind made up,” the chorus of Santigold’s “I’m a Lady.” A slower, more sentimental track, “Love Song,” faded the set out instead of closing it with a boom.
Blank’s final words on stage were a tribute to her tour-mates and an acknowledgement of her role as their opener. While this seemed standard tour etiquette for any opening act, it also had implications that Blank understood the audience was not for her. She’ll be hitting the road with electroclash legend Peaches soon, and the fans she gains off Peaches’ popularity will probably be fans that stick with her as her career rises and explodes.
You can reach this staff writer at kcasino@theeagleonline.com.
