Blow Up is reputed to be the best party in the city. I’ll say it’s almost certainly the best regular event for the 18+ crowd. But rule number one of going to a 18+ club event: don’t wear your nice shoes, even if the code says “dress to impress.” It was only thanks to sheer luck and repeat viewings of The Matrix that I managed to avoid a geyser of projectile vomit in the Factory’s overcrowded men’s room Saturday night at Blow Up Forever II. “You go here.” I said, guiding the poor kid to the urinal I was about to use. “I’ll wait for the stall.”
When it was time for its performance, headlining ‘dunk’ (if the lead singer wants it to be called that, he’s got it) outfit the Rapture generally kept things upbeat and moving, going with tracks like “How Deep Is Your Love,” “Roller Coaster,” and the title cut off of the new album In the Grace of Your Love, while not slowing down to the point of the wonderfully plodding “It Takes Time to Be a Man.” Given the club context, and the need to keep people dancing, it made sense. Singer Luke Jenner worked the audience from the front of the stage and at one point strolled out into the sweaty throng thanks to a roadie and a very long microphone cord; but special credit for effort goes to Gabriel Andruzzi. Resembling the spawn of Jeff Goldblum and Kramer (in the best way possible) Andruzzi was on at least triple duty, regularly taking breaks from the keyboards to bust out a saxophone or deliver extremely animated overdoses of cowbell to the crowd.
All photos by Ryan Prendiville.