In the heart of New York City, Japanese solo artist Vicke Blanka made his entry on the final stop of his first North American tour. Fans welcomed the musician at the famous Palladium Times Square venue on February 20, 2024. 

Love At First Sight

With many seeing the artist in person for the first time, the crowd cheered at the surreal view of their favorite performer as they were filled with everlasting excitement. Facing the tight pit and the packed mezzanine in the back, Blanka greeted the crowd with a smile and an exciting EDM-esque opening track, “蒼天のヴァンパイア (Soten No Vampire).”

Photos courtesy of Miko Fusco.

Blanka performed a variety of songs in his oversized white outfit, from fan favorites to more underground tracks. At the start of each song, fans were able to immediately catch on and react, screaming with joy. For the first handful of songs, Blanka bounced to the rhythm of upbeat selections like “Slave of Love,” raising the energy of the venue to the roof. The crowd jumped along with him with smiles on their faces.

Versatility Runs Through Blanka

After such hyper selections, including a bumping techno-house track called “Death Dance,” Blanka caught his breath by walking around the stage for a moment stating, “There’s so much space on this stage, I don’t want to waste it,” making the crowd laugh. Blanka used this as an opportunity to segue into a calmer section of his diverse discography, or “vibing songs,” as he described. These moving tracks included a calming experimental track “Sad in Saudi Arabia” and a more emotional ballad titled “Lucky Ending.” Upon this performance, the crowd watched him sing with a wide vocal range. Fans waited for each song to finish before giving Blanka a long, loud applause.

Photos courtesy of Miko Fusco.

After recovering his energy, Blanka sent the crowd into a whirlwind as he continued to perform their favorite songs, including those featured in the popular anime, Black Clover. Due to the popularity of the anime, many Western fans discovered Blanka through these tracks and were excited to hear them live.

Blanka also wanted to test the audience’s engagement. “This worked at every show, I wonder if it will work here,” Blanka said before chanting “Aha!” As he expected, the crowd followed his lead. They repeated this bonding call-and-response as Blanka began “Want You Back,” the song that features this chant.

An Audience Blanka Won’t Forget

Despite only making his American debut this year, Blanka’s audience proved themselves to be dedicated and exceptionally loving of the singer. Blanka told his audience he re-recorded every song’s instrumentals for this tour, and this made the fans feel especially appreciated. Throughout the show, the singer made conversation with the crowd – even little details like telling them about his new watch. He was astounded by his audience’s dedication, exclaiming that they made him feel very comfortable on stage here in New York City for the very first time.

Photos courtesy of Miko Fusco.

Just like we record videos of concerts to capture memorable moments forever, Blanka wanted to save this memory forever, too. After waving at every corner of his audience, he pulled out his phone and began to record himself with the crowd. It’s rather sweet to think that he can look back on his first-ever New York show, and we were a part of it!

After the crowd called for an encore, Blanka promised that, using his “very long visa,” he would return to New York City in the winter or the following year. After performing two encore songs of the crowd’s choice, “Black Catcher” and “Black Rover,” he said goodbye to the audience. Until next time, Blanka!

Are you interested in more Vicke Blanka? Read EnVi’s interview with him here!

, ,