Here's a rough draft of my Beyonce concert review. It will run with Eric Snider's critique of Bad Religion's performance at Warped Tour and Arielle Stevenson write-up of the recent Mickey Avalon show in the Creative Loafing that hits newsstands July 31.
Here's my Beyonce concert review that will in the Creative Loafing that hits newsstands July 25.
Beyonce w/Robin Thicke, Sat., July 21, St. Pete Times Forum, Tampa
It was definitely a spectacle. The kind we have come to expect from our young, photogenic stars whose sex appeal can be more crucial to their success than actual singing ability.
For some audience members, watching Beyonce prance around in glorified lingerie might have been enough to satisfy them Saturday at the St. Pete Times Forum. But my libido could only keep me engaged for so long. The 25-year-old diva failed to offer much of substance, even by pop standards.
The crowd appeared to fill up less than half of the 20,000-capacity hockey arena, but they were sure an enthusiastic bunch. (Unlike past shows at the Forum, no official attendance number was offered to the press).
But the small turnout didn’t stop Beyonce from doing everything BIG. Her stage production included a multi-tiered, mountain of a riser that accommodated a battalion of backing musicians (all women) plus a gaggle of mixed-gender dancers. And hardly a song went by without the former Destiny’s Child singer indulging in soulless vocal acrobatics that were showy to the point of obnoxious.
