Blood Orange’s Essex Honey tour stop at Brooklyn Steel on November 30 felt less like a showcase for the tour’s namesake album and more like a guided tour through Devonté Hynes’ creative vision. The setlist pulled heavily from Essex Honey, his first full Blood Orange album in six years and a record framed as a reckoning of his Essex upbringing. The second night of his Brooklyn residency leaned into his reflection and brought the audience together through their performance. Under the flashy lights, Hynes and his band (Eva Tolkin, Ian Isiah, Tariq Saleem Al-Sabir, and Dillon Treacy) put on a show to remember.

The night began with “Time Will Tell”, moving swiftly to some of my personal favorites, “Saint” and “Champagne Coast”, and ended with “The Field”. Throughout the night, I was mesmerized by how Hynes and his band rotated between the instruments and the mic. It was truly a unique experience watching the versatility of artists in this project.

A heartfelt moment from the show was when Hynes paid homage to the venues in Brooklyn, citing how they were where many indie bands started to build their audience. To document this experience, each New York show was recorded onto CDs right after the concert, and they were available to purchase shortly after each night’s performance concluded.

Blood Orange will take a break from touring and is set to continue the Essex Honey Tour in March of 2026.