It is an odd musical pairing, but it shouldn’t be such an odd cultural match. Amanda Blank and Matt + Kim are both in-your-face artists who pull from alternate sides of the punk rock legacy. Blank is sassy and might punch you in the face to make a point. Matt + Kim are jovial and might punch themselves in the face just for laughs. But as Blank learned last night in Los Angeles at the sold-out El Rey, Matt + Kim’s audience is not naturally hers. As she strutted and gyrated through a strong opening set of material from her new album, I Love You, Blank’s impressive vocal chops and formidable stage presence got a red carpet showcase, but the crowd remained largely indifferent.
This must be somewhat of a shock for Blank, who has been used to jamming with her homies – Spank Rock, Santigold, etc, if only for a track or a guest drop – to venues gone wild. And while the El Rey could barely contain the kids during M+K’s set, Blank barely got a fist pump.
Opening with “Something Bigger, Something Better,” Blank strode out in a shiny black cape, reminiscent of Missy Elliott’s garbage bag bubble suit. Backed solely by a DJ (who she didn’t introduce), Blank kept her face largely obscured by her hair throughout the set, teasing and taunting the audience, but in a non-threatening way. “I’m so distracted by this one guy who keeps telling me to strip,” Blank announced after a few songs, pointing to just in front of the stage. “I’ll take my clothes off when you take your clothes off,” she retorted in good humor. Sadly, nobody disrobed.
The set was the perfect length, though she left out the more melodic tracks from her album, like “Big Heavy” and the stunner “Shame On Me.” Still, her vocals were showcased on “DJ,” her spitfire rapping got some shine on “Make It Take It,” and the Amanda Blank attitude got its due throughout. If Blank noticed the crowd’s apathy, she didn’t show it. Her performance was consistently energetic.
While I Love You has received some (deservedly) mixed reviews, there’s nothing mixed about her live show. Now, she just needs some fans to feed off what she’s putting out up there.
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