When Trey Songs opened the night, I recognized a couple of songs, stood to get a better look, and then sat down to rest my legs. But when Jay-Z took the stage, the energy of the entire arena forced me to my feet, and I couldn't sit for the rest of the concert. This had nothing to do with my line of sight - it was a pure, fundamental, biological response to the best stage presence in performing music.
Jay-Z's 2-hour set, on March 24 at
From the moment of the curtain's rise, the stage looked more intense than your average concert. Set against a backdrop of giant right-angled screens, cut to look like the
All of this attention, of course, was well-deserved. Jay-Z has built an unparalleled music empire, taking over everything from signing bands and recording albums to promoting and producing arena-sized concerts. His tremendous influence in the music industry continues to grow, so it's no surprise that this oversized show inspired such awe. But the music easily lived up to the surrounding hype.
After dramatically rising up through the stage, Jay-Z started the show with a couple of his old-school classics, before moving into the newer material from The Blueprint 3, his latest album. Along the way, he welcomed a wide variety of performers to join him onstage, a new take on the "opening band" concept.
Young Jeezy joined Jay-Z onstage after a few songs, skillfully doubling and trading the complicated lyrics of Jay-Z's earliest hits. This approach gave a new energy to songs like "99 Problems" and "Dirt Off Your Shoulder," especially as the two performers stood on opposite sides of the stage and sang directly at the two sides of the arena.
Another highlight of the show was Jay-Z's slam poetry-like interludes between certain songs. I couldn't tell if they were spontaneous or rehearsed, but they added to the drama of the coming song, and they generally magnified the energy of the show. Jay-Z's smooth, sing-songy voice was perfect for the stories, declarations, and nonsense verbalizations of these interludes, and they added another level to his already-fascinating onstage character.
One low point in the show was when Jay-Z left Young Jeezy onstage along for a short set. Jeezy's music had nowhere near the beats or energy of the rest of the show, instead seeming to be a slow, mellow R&B, and the lost momentum never really returned to its previous level. Even worse, Young Jeezy interrupted his own solo set to give an inspirational speech. Something about the sky being the limit - I didn't really get it, but I was also waiting for the music to return. You know, at the Jay-Z rap concert...
Another disappointment was the lackluster level of audience participation. Especially with such a dynamic stage performer, I would have expected more of a response (both energy-wise and volume-wise) from the crowd. The arena's shape and size could have caused my observations, but I maintain that such a large audience should have matched the energy of a star like Jay-Z.
Still, the man with his own symbol brought the entire arena to its feet. From his oldest songs to new classics like "Empire State of Mind" and "Young Forever," Jay-Z's concert was more than just a recitation of his songs. Even despite a decrease in energy during the "overtime show" at the end, "for those of you who bought the early albums and have been with us for the whole journey," Jay-Z provided the kind of show for which he's become famous - loud, passionate, and musical. And I guarantee that the crowd will remember how Jay-Z's energy forced them to stand.
EBAC thanks Jay-Z for access to this concert.
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