Beyonce in Raleigh
By Lee Williams
Published in News on August 1, 2007 1:45 PM
Call it guts — or a great sense of determination.
Beyoncé refused to scrap the trench coat or the heels that caused her to tumble down a flight of stairs at her concert in Orlando, Fla. last week.
But we all know that Beyoncé, with her stellar dance moves, singing voice and flawless beauty, would never run from a challenge. After all, the former Destiny’s Child member is a “Survivor.”
So it came as no surprise that she decided to show the world during The Beyoncé Experience Tour at the RBC Center in Raleigh Saturday that she would not be undone.
The “Bootylicious” diva donned the infamous trench coat during the two-hour show, and strutted down the steps in killer pumps as she sang her hit “Ring the Alarm.” She bounced as she walked, but never missed a beat.
Her decision to keep the scene despite the mishap on July 24 took guts, and it solidified her growth as a performer.
The show, which began as she rose on stage surrounded by smoke and fire that fell at her charge, blended her music, videos, movie skits like “Cell Block Tango” from “Chicago” and special effects.
Add to that an all-female band and sexy male dancers — and you’re sold.
Beyoncé’s performance coupled with her multi-media presentation not only earned her the position as a leader in the industry, it also raised the bar of what many should come to expect when they fork over $49.50 to $89.75 per ticket.
But Beyoncé, who performed 21 songs including “Crazy in Love,” “Baby Boy,” “Beautiful Liar,” and “’03 Bonnie & Clyde,” from all of her albums showed she was worth every dime and then some.
During the show, Beyoncé treated her faithful following to a little belly dancing, a strip tease, band solos and a whole lot of rump shaking.
The crowd of largely adult women decked in their sun dresses were especially moved by the star’s take on the reggae jam, “Murder She Wrote,” Jill Scott’s “He Loves Me,” and “Get Me Bodied.”
In fact, long after Beyoncé took her final bow, the party continued in the parking lot. As “Get Me Bodied” blared from a set of car speakers, women and children practiced the diva’s moves.
Her concert kicked off with a brief performance by the British born Katy Shotter. The act was followed by R&B singer Robin Thicke, who hypnotized the crowd with his gyrating hips and seductive falsetto voice.
As Thicke crooned his hit song, “Lost Without U,” from his debut album, “the Evolution of Robin Thicke,” the crowd cheered.
The lyrics to many of his songs performed during a nine-song set seemed comfortable and familiar as if snatched from old love letters.
His performance was OK, but his wardrobe needed to be recast. White tennis shoes and an all black outfit seemed like an odd pairing even for a musician.