Here is the Stage setup for another show on this tour. It makes excellent use of the floor to expose the whole arena to the performance. Each side of the stage had an equal amount of performing, while the areas behind were entertained by the auto-scrolling semi circle projection screens.
I was lucky enough to be stationed mid bowl right to the stage in Section 117!
Here was the song list for the show: • Futuresex/lovesounds• Like I love you• My love• Heartbreak Hotel• Senorita• Sexy ladies• Until the end of time• What goes around• Chop Me Up•** TIMBALAND MASH UP INTERLUDE** Rock Your Body• Gone• Take it from here• Last night• Damn girl• Summer love• Losing my way• Cry me a river• Love stoned• Sexy back
September 5, 2007, JT and his roadshow hit the city of Vancouver and put on one of the biggest shows that GM Place has ever seen! 19,000+ Fans gave this concert an electric atmosphere. During the pre show briefing they told me that this was just a bunch of teeny boppers and their moms. Well on the 100 level there was about 10,000 young ladies that were around my age. I will have to say that I had to be sharp and try to focus on my actual job. I was cautioned for "being too social with the ladies" by a supervisor, but I thought I was supposed to multitask! I must also say that I am quite jealous of this JT dude! He has every girl on the planet going crazy! I guess he earned it.
"I get paid for this?", I asked myself. Well I'm not one to argue so I scanned a few tix, did some break relief for colleagues who work in the tunnels, then got stationed down between the floor and mid bowl in section 117. Now. I'm just a dumb sports jock, thinking this JT dude is just another tween scream...well lets just say that I was wrong...wrong enough to write this "review!" This 26 year old kid has gone from child prodigy, mickey mousekateer, NSYNC boy bander to probably the premier male pop star in America today. This is a sober admission from someone who typically hates pop boy band music. This kid is much better than that kind of trivialization.
The stage was set up in a N, NW, W, SW S, etc format. The Dancers and JT worked each angle which precision, while behind them semi transparent screens angled in semi circles showed clips of his videos and tributes. This kid was wearing kicks, jeans, a t-shirt and ball cap, and danced like James Brown across each section of the stage. I could only imagine the amount of choreography and precision went into this new style of concert. The only one to ever light up a round stage like this was Shania Twain. JT obviously was taking notes cuz he really turned it into a show of his own. Timbaland's entrance mid show was slick as they made an intermission feel like a part of the main concert. Timbaland kept the crowd moving with his many remixes, tributes and his own singles.
For the second half JT brought out the hits as he turned the screws on an already amazing performance. The climax of this concert was the mid part of the song "what goes around comes around" when his 16 piece band simply blew away the 19,000+ fans. They cranked up their rendition of the song, while JT went into a power note, the lasers were zapping, strobes popping, girls screaming, cell phones in the air, everyone dancing...now there's a moment! Unless you have been there its hard to articulate, other than the fact that every single person in that building got their money's worth. From the 44 $600 stage side all you can drink bar stools to the $70 nosebleed end zones, everyone was blown away! Even janitorial was waving their mops as the 4-72 inch sub woofers rattled the building and shook every one's bones!. Another highlight of the round stage format what the revolving piano circle. Give this kid a spotlight revolving stage and some ivory...well you got yourself a modern day Mozart! This Kid and 52 keys=a show you'll never forget. JT connected with the crowd quite well several times by chatting it up and joking around.
During this show I gained a real appreciation of what a tour is all about. It's about delivering a consistent performance day after day. Inspiring people in as many cities as possible by bringing this kind of talent to town, and juggling the logistics of such a massive event. This really is something that really changes how I think about this industry. Just think of the initiative that the promoter, artist and his staff must have envisioned when planning this tour. Thanks to them, the bar has certainly been raised and they have turned the typical concept of your average concert into a thing of the past! JT is only going to gain momentum as he deservedly blazes his own path onto the world stage. He is not far off from being a household name. He will only help his own cause as he expands on the accomplishments of FutureSex/Lovesounds. All of you who were lucky enough to experience this incredible show knows exactly what I'm getting at. This kid did 2 shows in a row @ Staple center in LA while I was there, but I'm thinking that after another super album, his next tour will fill Soccer and Football stadiums. He's that good!
