Singing in the Rain : 070 Shake Petrichor Tour

On a hazy and rainy February 1st night, myself and a legion of devoted youth ventured out of our warm corners of the city. Our roads intersected at the historic King Theatre in Flatbush, where we congregated in the hallowed cultural landmark to hear 070 Shake wail about the triumphs and pitfalls of love. For those unfamiliar, 070 Shake is the stage alias of North Bergen-born singer/rapper Danielle Balbuena. After cutting her new record PETRICHOR out west in Malibu, Shake revisited her old stomping grounds, inviting her experimental cult hometown following for one night of gothic baroque alt-rock lyrical poetry.

Despite being categorized as niche, 070 has established herself under Kanye West’s Good Music imprint with features including Ye’s Ghost town, Raye’s UK hit Escapism, and Nas’ Nasir. Having cut her teeth on her hypnotizing hip-hop electro pop debut albums MODUS VIVENDI and YOU CAN’T KILL ME, it safe to say Shake knows no niche. During the performance, she reiterated how thankful she was to her fans for standing by her as she ventures into new territory. Her opener - singer Bryant Barnes - set the stage, serenading the audience with his foundation of swaying, relatable tracks. Cooning into the mic, he echoed themes of heartbreak, which would later be revisited by Shake. Connecting with the spirits that lifted her up, the multi-sensory performance was cinematic in scale but intimate in nature.

Shake kept it simple and classic. In front of a haunting white curtain that projected various motifs and colors, she took command of the stage alone. Projections included a hand drawn LA-inspired Shake Diner that framed “Winter Baby/New Jersey Blues”, the surf rock homage to Jersey homesickness. Another one showcased a microscoping mutating butterfly garden for the introspective and sexual “Into Your Garden” track. Shake also ushered in two ballerinas, who floated on pointe during certain numbers. The dichotomy of their feminine figurines and turbulent, moody rap lyrics sung by Shake points to her playful appreciation for combining what society has previously deemed as high and low artforms. It was no surprise that a filmic quality purveyed the stage, as Shake has mentioned before in interviews that she is heavily influenced by cinema (specifically Persona and Climax for this album) and would love to write a film score. Playing with lighting and shadows, she often stood behind the translucent sheet with her band, creating trippy fluctuations in size. The set was on brand for the stripped back artist, who also wore a simple fitted crepe blouse and vintage suit pants. Because the red curtain venue was a gilded altar to maximalism, the contrasting minimalist stage design was a clever aesthetic choice.

Once in front of the crowd, Shake cut no corners. Jumping right into songs like emo dance rager “Elephant” and the fifties inspired “Vagabond”. With creepers like “Sin”, the first half of the show proved to be a quiet but subversive seduction into her world. Like the introverted, shy protagonist at the beginning of a film, Shake had to open up to the audience. But once in the groove, Shake knew how to get the crowd riled up. Into the latter half, she shook up the set list with early fan favorites like “Skin and Bones”, “History”, and “Medicine”. As the familiar tracks rang through the cathedral-esque theatre, the vibrant chaos of the tristate area welcomed her home. Shouts of I LOVE YOU DANI and water sprays littered the act, reminding the performer that she was amongst family and friends. The show was deeply personal for private Shake, who shouted out her mother in the audience.

Shake’s vocals felt in earnest, as her lyrics painted scenes of love in its many forms - toxic, all encompassing, sweaty, wholesome, nurturing, and ultimately healing. Informed by her past and current relationships, Shake held her own in the spotlight when she didn’t feel as though the crowd was encroaching on her built up armor. Although the singer utilized two mics, switching from clearer vocals to autotune for artistic choice, her best turns were soulful renditions sans-heavy auto-tune. It is natural for musicians on tour, like actors for a long season of shows, to become exhausted and enter into the fold of forced emotions, gimmicks, and tricks to sustain code through multiple shows. But extra, processed ingredients in a shake don’t necessarily make it taste sweeter and better. Like her song “Skin and Bones”, Shake is at her most honest when she vibes with her voice and produces a naturally-harnessed flavor.

Once her transparent energy infiltrated the encouraging crowd, things took a turn for the wild. This show afterall, could not be any regular stop on her tour. At one point, Shake brought on a fan and asked where he was from. His response? South Korea! The audience cheered. From there, she invited a charasmatic fan to the stage, where they danced together off the cuff, and then, to the stress of her security team, allowed an entire group of teenagers onto the stage to rage. After improvising with her fans and deviating away from the set list more than once, 070 regrouped the buzzing room with a pin-dropping Lynchian ballad “Blue Velvet” and then bled into the full swing finale. The final lineup featured a dramatic seizure-inducing light show for “Blood on Your Hands”, crowd hit “Guilty Conscience”, and personal favorite - “Love”, which she ended with electric flourish. Shake’s encore was Ghost Town, a white-hot track to fuel her earliest fans. In the monotonous music industry, there is no doubt that 070 Shake is committed to driving in her own lane. The artist has always been able to take the roads less traveled because her fans sit alongside in the shotgun, and they love it.