A recap of Bktherula’s memorable New York City performance

By Alfonso Abreu

Nowadays, every underground show checks off the same boxes. Teenagers dressed like they walked off the set of Edward Scissorhands? Check. Erratic barrage of lights? Check. Grueling moshpits? Check. Despite regularly attending shows in the scene feeling like something out of Groundhog Day, the deep sense of community adds a glimmer to the mundane.

At the NYC stop on her Lucy Experience tour, Bktherula strengthens the artist-to-audience bond that is often neglected today in favor of being mysterious. Outside of Irving Plaza, fans showed off their loyalty by wearing merch from past Bk tours. Others wore outfits inspired by 0PIUM and, of course, Bk herself. As I waited at the box office, feeling self-conscious because I didn’t measure up to the standards of the unspoken dress code, I couldn’t help but be enamored by those entering. There was a reason everyone brought their fresh pair of Rick Owens out the closet for this; this was a prestigious event.

I managed to get in just in time to catch the ending of the first DJ’s set, blending modern NYC tracks with a plethora of Playboi Carti classics (a recurring element throughout the night). The tour’s opener Zukenee burst out on stage, belting ad-libs and snatching everyone’s attention with the Call of  Duty Zombies-sampling “Kino Der Toten”. Throughout the 25 minute set of modern reworkings of the classic ATL-trap sound pouring out the speakers, the crowd clamored for Bk to start (your time will come Zukenee).

Following Zukenee’s exit, DJ DickByAir kept the riled audience at bay with a rotation of underground classics. The highlight of the set was a transition from the Wii Sports theme – which a group of friends next to me started a dance circle to – into Tay-K’s “I ❤ My Choppa” – where everyone rushed the stage and chanted along to every word.

As Bk made her entrance to the Undertaker’s theme, the crowd erupted into a frenzied collective scream that almost rivaled the thundering bass punching through the speaker. Her first song was “DROPWHENIDROP” – the intro to her latest album LUCY. Her croons were amplified by the crowd, all vocalizing and swaying with her. Witnessing Bk was like watching a snake charmer at work. The trance snapped promptly, though, as fans recognized the robotic synths of “CODE” swelling in the background, hastily devolving into a moshpit. As the monstrous 808s ripped through the venue’s speakers, bodies slammed into each other, seemingly causing the entire crowd to veer into multiple directions as they tried to maintain their balance. 

Throughout the show, Bk showed love to the crowd – acknowledging her fan’s extravagant outfits, proclaiming her love for NYC, demanding pits open, and prioritizing their safety. Every “open that sh*t up!” was followed up with a precautious “take two steps back.” Bk brought her tracks to life with improvised ad-libs and roars into the microphone, feeding the crowd endless energy. The crowd lost their minds to every song like it was the last one they will ever hear.

The live performance of “SANTANNY” began with a smiling Bk sharing with the crowd that she didn’t turn up to the level she wanted to on last year’s tour, especially compared to her fans. This year, she exclaimed, “That’s what I love; we match each other’s energy,” as she shouts for the pit to be opened up once again, screaming into the mic until the 808s dropped.

Before performing my personal favorite track off the album, “BLEHT”, she quickly jokes “I hate when I have a hangover”, making regurgitation noises that quickly morphed into repetitively shouting “bleht”. The song’s AOL dial-up-style synths are warped by the boosted 808s, shaping the instrumental into what sounds like a speaker flatlining.

In the same vein, multiple songs on the set benefit from the DJ’s having the low-end knobs turned all the way up. The gliding 808s of the Devstacks (who watched the show from the balcony) produced, “Party on U” suddenly transformed the venue into the Oppenheimer set. The glitchy, 8-bit synths of “OCB” are distorted so much that it made me think there was a Game Boy that couldn’t keep up with modern speakers, plugged into the sound system somewhere.

Nearing the end of the show, Bk urged for a ladies-only moshpit, in which the obligatory self-ordained “moshpit control” safety vest-wearing teen enforced this demand. “Ladies only! Let the girls have this one,” he shouted as Bk let all the fan favorites fly. Bk ended the set with the glitzy hit “ILOVEUBACK<3”, fulfilling a special request from North West. The performance quickly turned into a duet as she and the crowd were in sync. The performance transitioned from less of a favor and more of a declaration of love for her fans.

Following the set, the DJ continued to play a couple of Bk songs that weren’t performed. Fans shouted out requests, which he then fulfilled (I personally pleaded for “Crazy Girl”). Even after Bk left the stage, her songs kept everyone together.