Blu DeTiger Rocks the Royale
Blu DeTiger performs at The Royale in Boston on November 3, 2022 (photo courtesy Eva McNally ‘25)
Words and photos by Eva McNally ‘25
On Thursday, November 3rd, rising star Blu DeTiger performed in Boston—the first night of her 2022 debut tour, cleverly dubbed “Blu DeTour.” She played a rocking show at The Royale on the unseasonably warm evening. The 24-year-old NYC-based singer-songwriter is redefining what it means to be a musician and performer.
This past summer, DeTiger toured with Dominic Fike for festival season as his bassist. They played in several big-name festivals, including Lollapalooza and Outside Lands. After taking a quick break from an exciting and busy summer, she’s back on the road to wrap up 2022.
DeTiger is just beginning to gain traction in her career. Her song “Figure it Out” went viral on TikTok, with over 290,000 videos under the sound, and has garnered nearly 40 million streams on Spotify. Her single “Cotton Candy Lemonade” has also racked up about 15 million Spotify streams. DeTiger released the single “Elevator” on October 21 alongside a lively music video.
As her fans anxiously await her first full-length album, her current discography holds a lot of promise for the future. Her 2020 debut EP, How Did We Get Here?, includes the songs “Vintage,” “Figure It Out,” and “Cotton Candy Lemonade.” She dug deep into her discography for this performance, including songs for seasoned and newer fans alike; “Tangerine,” her 2019 single was the oldest song featured on the set, and “Blutooth,” her 2022 release with Chromeo, was one of the newer songs on the setlist.
Tiffany Day and HALFnHALF support DeTiger on this tour. Quartet HALFnHALF consists of Malcolm Huss, Taj Cove, Myles Anderson, and Daiela Simon-Seay. They have two officially released songs, “LADY” and” Counting Sheep…” but each artist has performed solo work as well. Huss and Anderson met while attending Berklee College of Music. HALFnHALF makes music that contains elements of R&B, soul, pop, hip-hop, and jazz, which especially shined throughout their live performance. The set was nice and mellow. The crowd swayed to the beat during every song.
Tiffany Day, a Chinese-American artist based in Los Angeles, brought energy to her set. Her bubbly personality enthralled the crowd, firing them up ahead of DeTiger’s set. Songs she played included her newest release, “DREAMS ABT OPTIMISM” and “IF I DON’T TEXT YOU FIRST,” from her 2021 EP, THE DEPENDENCY PROJECT.
Rex DeTiger joined his sister Blu on the stage to drum. The duo absolutely sparkled on stage using their prior experience as DJs to their advantage; at one point in the set, Blu briefly mixed on stage, creating a distinctive DeTiger sound. Horace Bray, guitarist, singer, and producer, also based in Los Angeles, joined the pair on stage with his electric guitar. The trio looked to be having a blast on stage together, energies feeding off of each other.
The set consisted of 14 songs total, a 13-song set plus a one-song encore, along with plenty of hair flips and headbanging. DeTiger opened the set with “Crash Course,” a single that she put out with Biig Piig earlier this year. She made a dramatic entrance, beautiful blue bass–a DeTiger staple–strapped on, ready to go. The venue shook from the intense sound— the music was felt as much as it was heard. Then came “Hot Crush Lover” and, without skipping a beat, the band seamlessly transitioned into “Toast with the Butter.”
The stage setup was dynamic, perfect for DeTiger’s charismatic stage presence. There were four light pillars that changed colors throughout the set, mounted with disco balls on top of each. Lights scattered around the stage projected out into the crowd and around DeTiger and her bandmates, creating an engaging light show to accompany the performance. DeTiger made use of the whole performance space, never staying in one place for too long. When she was not in front of the microphone, she was sauntering from one side of the stage to the other, jamming on her bass. She even reached out and took hold of fans’ hands as she stood on the edge of the stage.
During the next song, “Cotton Candy Lemonade,” DeTiger slowed it down, sitting on the two-step platform in the middle of the stage while yellow lights cast a soft glow around her. For the second half of the song, she reunited with her bass, adding an artistic flair that could only be executed live.
Another highlight was when the band launched into what DeTiger called a “cover medley,” which featured the songs featuring “Style” by Taylor Swift, “Glamorous” by Fergie, and “Electric Feel” by MGMT. She put her own creative spin on these tracks with her impressive bass-playing, funky riffs, and fast pace, which had the whole crowd singing and dancing to the familiar tunes.
About halfway through the set, DeTiger surveyed the crowd for any bass players who would be willing to join her on stage. Hands shot up and people pointed to their friends in the crowd. Ruby Adams, age 10, was selected to be the impromptu guest performer from the crowd. She got up on stage, not looking nervous in the slightest, and played some catchy riffs both on her own and alongside Blu. She was absolutely glowing, and the crowd offered plenty of encouragement. (Check out her Instagram: @rubygoldentiger)
Toward the end of the set, DeTiger played “Blondes.” This song was the first she dropped after signing to Capitol Records in November 2021. This release marked the next chapter for Blu and her music—a thrilling step in her musical journey. “Blondes” is the perfect amount of fun and flirty, and the live performance made the whole room bounce. Blu was absolutely right—blondes most definitely do have the most fun!
DeTiger closed the set with “Vintage.” This track in particular captures her skill, as she blends contemporary pop with an ‘80s synth sound that anyone can enjoy. In the song, she declares “I need a vintage boy for my outfit.” In an interview with Zoe Cannella, she said: "I sing about needing a 'vintage boy'—not to take me out on the town or to make me feel special—but to be an accessory to my sick outfit.” She highlights the fact that songs tend to be from the perspective of the guy, and his girlfriend is nothing more than his arm candy. In her version, these stereotypical roles are reversed, and the girl is the main character. The song is an empowering anthem that incorporates DeTiger’s own personal flair from her experience living in New York City and the people she sees. The song is cheeky and catchy, and at the show it seemed as though the whole crowd was singing the words with her.
DeTiger’s performance, wicked bass playing, and impressive vocals made for an entertaining and memorable show. The set was the perfect length with two openers and the main act, and the venue itself was perfect for her artistic expression. The crowd was engaged the whole time, DeTiger was spellbinding. Without a doubt, she’ll be back in Boston in the future playing bigger venues to larger audiences.
For the next month, DeTiger and her band will be on the road, traveling across the country. Their final destination is Webster Hall in their hometown of New York City.
