We thought Grace Jones had hit peak rockstar when she signed copies of her recent memoir at the Union Square Barnes & Noble after arriving two hours late, chain smoking, and freeing the nipple. But the iconic singer and performer is keeping the surprises rolling, not least among them a one-night-only set just announced by Blood Orange frontman Devonté Hynes.
Earlier today, Hynes uploaded an image of the avant-garde legend sporting sky-high hair while cooly flexing her biceps, accompanied by a caption stating the pair “will be bringing ultimate blackness to the Greek Theatre, Berkeley, CA for 1 night only on August 27,” a statement rightly followed by the confirmation, “This is not a drill.”
The Northern California show falls one day before Jones’ headlining set on the closing day of Los Angeles’ FYF Festival, a bill that also features Blood Orange. Though Hynes’ longtime friend Kelela and the unofficial mayor of LA, Kendrick Lamar, will also be on hand for FYF, the pair are scheduled to perform on the festival’s first day and thus likely won’t be able to road trip north for surprise drop-ins. However, Atlanta rap weirdo Young Thug doesn’t take the FYF stage until the 28th, so here’s hoping Hynes has a surprise trick up his sleeve. If anyone’s a great uniter (he brought Solange, Nelly Furtado, Junglepussy, Ratking, Le1f, Chairlift, Despot, Kindness, and Kelsey Lu together under the Apollo Theater’s historic roof), it’s Dev.
To our knowledge, this marks the first time Hynes and Jones will share the stage in collaboration, though he did sample her 1982 single “Nipple to the Bottle,” on “Always Let U Down,” a track on his phenomenal 2013 album Cupid Deluxe. We can only imagine what the celebration of ultimate blackness might entail, but be certain to watch this space for more.
Credits
Text Emily Manning
Photography Beau Grealy
Styling Andreas Kokkino