So I was FINALLY able to surprise my girl Erica.It certainly hasn't been for lack of trying. In April, just as we were moving in to our new apartment, I'd tried to surprise her with Avenue Q tickets, but she found out about the show when she was looking online for "Things to Do" in the Tampa area, and I'd told her not to make plans for the specific weekend of the show.
So I had to figure out a way to not have her find out about the tickets — Ticketmaster went haywire when I tried to change my billing address and tried to have the tickets (that's Erica's hand making a cameo, after my hand dropped out to take the photo) delivered to my job — and somehow get her to be dressed up for a musical concert of some sort (can't have her being over or underdressed to go to a concert).
I ended up telling her a friend of mine was playing with his band in downtown Tampa and, miraculously, this worked. Part of the reason was that she didn't ask too many questions (I had made up a name for the made-up band in my head in case she asked). Either way, I was happy to see her not figure out until we had set foot inside the St. Pete Times Forum May 24.
Our seats were in the first level — which worked out great because we were near enough to see the stage, but also at an elevated angle, unlike the people sitting at floor level — and we got to them just in time to see Jordin Sparks launch into her set.
She was pleasant enough. She started with "One Step at a Time", which I remember her singing during the "Idol" finale because of her atrocious dress, followed by "Tattoo", a few decent songs I didn't know and capped off "No Air" (she apologized to the crowd for not bringing Chris Brown with her. I find that I like Jordin a lot more now than I did when she was on the show. She was solid and impressive vocally, though she tended to get drowned out at the start of songs (sounded like the tech guys had to keep correcting that problem). Her set had little frills though, and, though I know she's young and has a bubbly personality, I could've done without her mentioning her digital platinum sales for "No Air", which she sang in a pleasantly silly performance.
Up next was Ne-Yo, who I'm not too familiar with. Still, I was thoroughly impressed by his stylish set, which had a clear, if trite storyline — boy sings about meeting scantily-clad backup dancer, boy sings about falling for scantily-clad backup dancer, boy sings about catching scantily-clad backup dancer cheating, boy sings about reasserting his independence.
Nevertheless, Ne-Yo put on an entertaining and engaging set, even if I couldn't understand what the hell he was singing about most of the time, and he was heavily relying on a backing track because he was dancing so much. Still, the guy's got charm and undeniable star power. I'd be even more excited about his prospects if R&B weren't mostly dead.
Alicia Keys took to the stage around 9:30 and did NOT disappoint. I mean, even the video with Cedric the Entertainer as a preacher telling Alicia to find "the starmaker" got a few genuine laughs out of me.
I already thought that she was an immensely talented artist from listening to her records, but she's even better live. Her show incorporated a few backup singers and dancers in mostly organic ways (she wasn't relying on them as much as Ne-Yo) allowing the headliner to shine.
For the "As I Am" tour, the centerpiece of the stage is a big monitor that broadcasts Keys in colorful psychedelic colors as well as providing other eye-catching graphics.
Her vaunted piano makes also makes a stylish entrance, and Keys does indeed spend a good amount of time playing (though she was just showing off when she was laying on the piano and playing the thing backwards). I was also glad to see she didn't spend the entire evening chained to the piano as she got up and danced around for a good portion of the time.
She ran through pretty much every song you'd want to hear her sing (I didn't hear her cover anyone else), saving "Fallin'" and "No One" for the end. People inexplicably started walking out after "No One", despite the fact that she hadn't played "If I Ain't Got You" yet. Those same people stopped in their tracks and sang along when she came back out for her encore.
I'm not a musician by any stretch of the imagination, but I'm amazed at how Keyes (and other belters) can go out, give 200% and deliver fierce vocals night after night. She's definitely one of the most impressive artists I've seen live in my (admittedly limited) experience.
Though the higher levels of the St. Pete Times Forum weren't filled at all, the people who WERE there absolutely got their money's worth.
Ok, now I have to go and figure out how I'm possibly going to surprise Erica next time.
Jordin Sparks...B-
Ne-Yo...B
Alicia Keys...A
Overall...A-
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