Seemingly mild-mannered hipsters were ready to let out their inner B-Boys for Spank Rock’s headlining show at Bowery Ballroom. The DJ for the Philadelphia by way of Baltimore rappers, who were taking a night off from their gig providing tour support for Beck, warmed up the crowd with remixes of everything from the Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ “Gold Lion” to the Marvelettes’ “Please Mr. Postman.” When frontman Naeem Juwan entered the stage, he put on a blindfold and declared “I can do this with my eyes closed” as he launched into “Backyard Betty.” The hip-hop collective danced before video projections of the audience as they delivered the lascivious lines of “Rick Rubin,” “Sweet Talk,” and other tracks off Spank Rock’s debut album Yoyoyoyoyo. Rapstress Amanda Blank, decked out in black lace and leather, held the crowd captive with her filthy, super-speedy flow. It didn’t take long before girls started jumping up on stage, shaking their asses — and the floor — until the venue closed. STORY BY GINNY YANG. PHOTOS BY ILIANA RABUN-WOOD
We asked: Given Spank Rock’s lively set, what is your favorite dance move?
