Everyone Loves a Good Show

Sorry for the long break in between entries but I just got finished watching the Justin Timberlake concert from Monday night. If you happened to miss the hoopla of the HBO concert event, it was like a retro MC Hammer concert with the cast of High School Musical. There were hip-hop dancers colliding with R & B crooners singing their heart out to the funk band in the center of the chaos. All of this was held together remarkably well by JT himself. Very edgy yet very controlled. Let’s put it this way. I was transfixed for 37 minutes before what I can only imagine was a migraine started to set in. I spent the next 1½ hours flipping back and forth hoping for glimpses of my favorite songs.

I enjoyed the ambition of the concert and the experience he was attempting to give the viewers. My only issue was with the music of the second album. It all sounds the same. At times I had trouble distinguishing one song from another. I enjoyed the more eclectic sounds of the debut Justified album. Anyway, I thought he worked the hell out of it for a reformed boy bander and showed that if he’s able to grow musically, he may be around for a while.

I like HBO’s idea of showing you a great concert in the comfort of your home. No screaming teens, overpriced tickets and jammed parking lot. But there is nothing like the real deal. I’ve forgone live concerts in the last years because as I age and become more crotchety, I like crowds less and less. I still have a few dream concerts including Sade, Prince (old school songs only), U2, No Doubt, Madonna, James Taylor, ABBA and Red Hot Chili Peppers.

With that said, I’ve also seen some amazing concerts. Here are a few that top my list:

Marc Anthony

Let me preface this by saying that I’ve been a fan of his for roughly12 years. Before JLo. I’ve seen him three times in concert. The best was a tiny nightclub in North Miami. He went on at 1 a.m. and didn’t leave for another 2 ½ hours. It was magical. He is my favorite male vocalist.

Luther Vandross

I may be the only teenager whose mother took them to see Luther. This was back in the 80s and he was medium Luther as opposed to thin Luther and fat Luther. He had that velvety smooth R & B voice that is missing from today’s radio. He sounded just like the record only better. Small concession: he used to turn the air off when he sang.

Menudo

I was already outgrowing the teen heartthrobs but when they came to Cleveland I made my mom take me. To this day I remember the Molly Ringwald-esque outfit I wore complete with white skirt, oversized pastel print, pink socks and mint green heals. I also remember that they sang Huey Lewis’ Hip to be Square and Madonna’s Isla Bonita.

What was the most memorable concert you’ve seen or are you still waiting for the dream concert?