Famed Swedish rapper and founder of the Drain Gang rap collective Bladee, performed at the Fillmore in Minneapolis on November 10, 2025. The incredible show was a long time in the making. In March of 2016, he was set to play a concert alongside long time collaborator Yung Lean, but the show was cancelled due to a bomb threat and never rescheduled. Almost 9 years later, Bladee returned to Minneapolis for his sold out show, leading to an incredible night.
Around 7:00 pm, the show began with a DJ set from producer Ripsquad, a veteran producer with Drain Gang members (including Bladee, Ecco2k, Thaiboy Digital, and Whitearmor). Some Ripsquad produced Bladee songs include Be Nice 2 Me, Destroy Me, and Frosty The Snowman. During Ripsquads set, he primed the already antsy crowd with a melodic DJ set, including remixes from artists such as Crystal Castles, Frou Frou, Ecco2k and Thaiboy Digital. After his 30 minute set, the crowd was buzzing for Bladee to take the stage.
Bladee began his set at 8:00 pm with his song Hero of my story 3style3, off of his fan-favorite album, 333. The explosive sounds of the opening track set the stage for the rest of the night. The palpable energy was so abundant in the venue, it felt as though the walls were going to break down. Just at the mere sight of Bladee walking on the stage, the crowd screamed and sang every word of the song, pushing to the front to be as close to Bladee as possible. He then moved the music momentum into ICARUS 3REESTYLE, followed by The Flag Is Raised from Crest, the famed collaborative project with Ecco2k from 2022. Although Ecco2k wasn’t present that night, the crowd was ecstatic to hear his verse over the speakers.
In the middle of his set he played a couple of very notable songs including desiree, just the second time he’s played that song live ever. He followed that into Like a Virgin, not only an unreleased track but also the first time he’s played it in years. During this middle portion of the show, Bladee took the time to slow down the tempo, performing more melodic songs like Valerie, DNA RAIN, I think…, EVERY MOMENT SPECIAL, Wings in Motion, and many more. This dip in energy was just what everyone in the crowd needed, they sang out to every word of his songs as they continued to push as close to the front as possible.
Just before the end of his set and the encore, Bladee pulled the energy back up with YUNG SHERMAN, Into Dust, Waster, and Destroy Me. The crowd somehow had even more energy than when the show started. He played his recently released song One In A Million, and walked off the stage. The crowd was well prepared for an encore. They didn’t stop screaming until Bladee came back on stage to end the night with Who Goes There, Unreal, Sugar, and She’s Always Dancing, as everyone soaked in the final fleeting moments, that incredible end to an unreal night. Just as quickly as he appeared on stage, he was gone.
Seeing Bladee perform live was a surreal moment for me. He is an artist I have known for many years, but never thought I would see him live. It was a privilege to have the opportunity to see him in concert, and to share that moment of his first time ever performing in the Twin Cities. I am counting down the days until he makes his return back to Minneapolis. But given Bladee’s illusive nature, God knows when that’ll be–if ever. I highly recommend seeing him live if you ever come across the chance, be wary for the rambunctious crowd, they won’t let anything get in their way of being as close to Bladee as possible.
