A few years ago, I stood in line for hours in the grueling summer sun, fought not to get trampled by the hundreds if not thousands of other people nearby, prayed I wouldn’t get squashed by the police officers who decided it was cool to ride around on their horses in the midst of all this madness, all in order to get only somewhat decent seats for a free Trey Songz concert at the Taste of Chicago. But it was all worth it. I so quickly fell in love with Mr. Neverson and vowed to go to as many of his concerts as I could thereafter. Saturday night, four concerts later, and more in love than ever, I stood inside the packed Arie Crown Theater to see not only Tremaine, but two more artists whose music I too have recently fallen in love with, Elle Varner and Miguel.
Saturday night was a night I will never forget. My best friends and I had some pretty good floor seats and were geeked to say the least when Elle hit the stage. For me, Elle Varner epitomizes a beautiful woman, inside and out, and seeing her live only further solidified my previous notions of the songstress. She sang her heart out, sounding just as amazing live as she does on every one of her tracks from her “Conversational Lush” mixtape and debut album “Perfectly Imperfect.” I had gotten the opportunity to interview her a few months back, and she seemed like such a fun corky, spirit and onstage she was no different. The girls throughout the theater sang along with her on tracks like, “So Fly,” and “Not Tonight,” as we connected to her every word. The men stood and watched in awe of her beauty. The girl was spectacular and I’m super excited to see where she will be in a few years. With so much talent, at such a young age (she’s only 23) I think that she will make a huge mark on the genre of R&B music.
Miguel is also an artist I have grown to have a huge appreciation for. His voice is angelic to me. I was sold when I first heard his track, “The Girl With the Tattoo,” off of his debut album, “All I Want is You.” His sophomore album, “Kaleidoscope Dream,” has only further made me a believer. I recently read that when asked about his collaboration with Miguel on the “Adorn” remix, Wiz Khalifa described Miguel’s voice as golden. To me, that’s exactly what he is as an artist, golden. After seeing him live, I understand this even more. He brings something so different to the game. Not only does he create a unique and beautiful sound, but it’s matched with eccentric lyricism and a stage presence like no other I’ve ever seen. The 26-year-old, mixed dances from the likes of Elvis and James Brown with his own special twist. Overall, it was definitely an experience like no other.
When it came down to the main act, my friends and I lost our minds like pretty much every other woman in the audience. This excitement was only elevated when a passerby handed my friend two tickets to the pit area, right in front of the stage. The only problem was there were three of us. In a frenzied attempt, we created a plan to work it out, and sure enough, 10 minutes later, the three of us found ourselves less than 5 feet away from the man of nearly every girl’s dreams. Being up close and personal made the experience even more overwhelmingly amazing. We enjoyed as Trey sang tracks from his newest album, “Chapter V,” along with other classics like “Neighbors Know My Name,” and cover songs of a few club bangers like the 2 Chainz and Kanye West hit, “Birthday Song.” The energy was live, everyone seemed to be having a good time, especially Trey, and even this girl who at one point thought it was okay to just hop on the stage before quickly being escorted off. After 5 albums, and my 4th concert, the only words I can think of to describe Trey as an artist and performer, would be those of one of his “Chapter V” singles. Trey is “Simply Amazing.”
As a proud lover of music, I have become somewhat of a concert fiend. Going to concerts is by far one of my favorite things to do. I’ve been to quite a few, and the one I went to this weekend is pretty high on my list as one of the best I’ve attended thus far. It would probably only fall slightly under Watch the Throne, and believe me, that’s saying a lot.
Last night, the Soul Train Awards aired on BET and performances came from the likes of John Legend, 2 Chainz, Miguel, Ne-Yo, Keyshia Cole, TGT, and Elle Varner. You can watch and/or re-live the performances above and below as G.O.O.D. Music kicks it off with Legend's "Tonight (Best I Ever Had)" and then 2 Chainz right under with "Birthday Song", "I'm Different", and "Ghetto Dreams". Then there's Miguel with "Adorn", Ne-Yo "Let Me Love You", Keyshia Cole "Trust & Believe" and "Enough Of No Love", TGT (Tank, Ginuwine, & Tyrese) with "Stay", "If You're Lonely", and "Zoom", and finally, Elle Varner with "Refill". Enjoy!
Trey Songz will be joining forces with R&B sensation Miguel and newcomer Elle Varner for his ‘Chapter V World Tour.’ The tour will be kicking off in Atlanta Fox Theater November 17th. Check the US Dates below:
Nov. 17 – Atlanta, GA – Fox Theater
Nov. 18 – Baton Rouge, LA – River Center
Nov. 21 – Las Vegas, NV – Orleans Arena
Nov. 23 – Oakland, CA – Coliseum
Nov. 24 – San Diego, CA – Sports Arena
Nov. 25 – Los Angeles, CA – Nokia Theater (L.A. Live)
Nov. 30 – Saginaw, MI – Dow Events Center
Dec. 1 – Chicago, IL – Arie Crown Theatre
Dec. 2 – Milwaukee, WI – Milwaukee Theater
Dec. 5 – New York, NY – Theatre at Madison Square Garden
Dec. 7 – Detroit, MI – Fox Theater
Dec. 8 – Nashville, TN – Municipal Auditorium
Dec. 9 – St. Louis, MO – Fox Theater
Dec. 13 – Washington, D.C. – Constitution Hall
Dec. 14 – Charlotte, NC – Bojangles Coliseum
Dec. 15 – Hampton, VA – Coliseum
Dec. 16 – Baltimore, MD – 1st Mariner Arena
Dec. 27 – New Orleans, LA – UNO Lakefront Arena
Dec. 28 – Birmingham, AL – BJCC Arena
Dec. 29 – Southaven, MS – Landers Center
Dec. 30 – Dallas, TX – Verizon Theatre
Dec. 31 – Houston, TX – Reliant Arena
Here is my reaction to finding out Miguel was on this tour:
I am so not against anyone who wants to hook me up with a meet & greet with Miguel lol
After watching First Lady Michelle Obama's fantastically inspiring speech yesterday, I went on an all-things Obama spree. I couldn't help myself. Just a random fact for the day, Malia Obama's, the first daughter's favorite new artist is Elle Varner. Go ahead, give ner music a new look. Her new LP is sure to gain even more hype! Congrats Elle!
Big congrats to newcomer Elle Varner for her debut album Perfectly Imperfect securing the number 4 spot on Billboards 200. Varner’s album was originally only expected to sale low, but she exceeded those expectations with over 31k. Also, Rick Ross’s album God Forgives, I Don’t sold 60k this week bringing its total to 279k.
