Singer-songwriter Blake Rose recently released a four-track EP titled Suddenly Okay in March of 2024. Rose likes to experiment with various sounds through his music, but his genre mainly consists of Pop. While he is originally from Australia, he has been spending most of his time in LA, making him no stranger to American life. On his 13th stop on tour, he made his way to Ruins in Deep Ellum, giving fans a performance to remember.
The first to start the night off was country singer Max McNown and his band. He began with original music before transitioning to a cover with his fourth song. Everyone pulled their phones out to record as he started to play “Stick Season” by Noah Kahan. With the crowd already singing and dancing, the energy soared even higher as he introduced his next song “Freezing in November.” As he told the audience “This song is the first song I ever released in my life,” he was immediately met with cheering and a round of applause. Dallas got a special show that evening as McNown invited someone on stage to play with him. He said “I don’t normally do this” before introducing Fort Worth-based singer Cate Gartner whom he had met on American Idol. Before closing out his set he expressed his gratitude by saying “I’m pretty new to touring…and it’s an absolute honor to be here.”
Headliner Blake Rose made his way on stage shortly after and he immediately took it away. With one hand on the keyboard and the other on his mic, his stage performance was unparalleled. He spent his time dancing and singing right on the edge of the stage. At one point he grabbed his phone to quickly take a photo of the crowd. In one of his most popular songs “Heavy Shit,” he took to the drum at the front of the stage, adding to the percussive parts of the song. Shortly after, the crowd erupted once he finished playing “Movie,” a song from his older album A World Gone By. Rose joked with the audience by saying “Not every crowd cheers” “I appreciate you guys being so sweet tonight.”
As the night picked up, Rose told the audience “Usually at this point of the set I would unplug my guitar and play my guitar in the middle.” He was hesitant to play without a speaker in this venue, due to the background noise of the restaurant nearby. However, fans convinced him otherwise and he quickly made his way to the center of the crowd. The audience formed a circle around him, and the room immediately got quiet as he played “Gone.” The small venue added to the intimacy of the moment allowing the audience to take in every second. When the song came to an end there was a brief silence before the crowd erupted into cheers and applause. As he went back to the stage to continue his set, he played his next song “Lady” and the crowd began swaying back and forth to the music. Midway through the song, someone from the audience handed him a cowboy hat, which he kept on for the majority of the song.
He played a few more songs, and before the set neared the end he told the crowd “This is the very first tour I’ve ever done in my life.” Rose has opened for many artists in North America, but this was his first time headlining a tour. He said “I have two more songs for you guys tonight,” with “Hotel Room” being the next on the list. Rose switched spots with the drummer for a few moments in this song, showing a new side to his musical abilities. When it came time for his last song he sang a cover of “Night Changes” that transitioned into his original song “Lost,” ending his set with a fan-favorite.
I am a Dallas-based photographer who has an appreciation for both the arts and music! Besides photographing concerts, I also enjoy doing creative portraits and working in Photoshop. I spend my free time either playing the cello, guitar, or piano or collecting CDs and vinyls. I would say my top three favorite artists are Peter McPoland, The Beatles, and Harry Styles! I’m currently a senior in high school, but I plan to major in graphic design and one day turn concert photography into a career.
