Reviews

Concert Reviews: Ladies' Night Out

What a good way to spend one's Valentine's Day--attending a concert where the all-male marquee ranged from hot new talent to seasoned established superstars. Ideal, Donell Jones, Ginuwine, and K-Ci & JoJo seized concertgoers' attention, teased their senses, and pleased their hearts. With so many of those in the audience being female, crowd reaction was destined to be explosive.

As Ideal appeared onstage, each was clad in black, hooded robes. One at a time, accompanied by contrasting beats, group members Maverick, PZ, Swab, and J-Dante discarded their robes and exposed their unique personalities. With intense energy and sexual motivation, the quartet performed songs from their self-titled debut album. It is customary in a lineup for the "baby" act to go on first, but Ideal's performance received no "baby" response. As they demonstrated their rhythmic savoir-faire, the women went crazy! For their finale, the guys sang their hit single, "Get Gone (Get The Hell On)," with nearly everyone in the front row standing and chanting in unison, "Get your bags and get the hell on!"

K-Ci & JoJo - "Fee Fie Fo Fum" Ginuwine - "None Of Ur Friends' Business" Ideal - "Get Down With Me" As Ideal's show wrapped, Pee Wee from L.A.'s KKBT yelled, "All the ladies in the house scream!" And, of course, they did. For they knew the fire ignited by Ideal would be fanned by the smooth sounds of LaFace recording artist Donell Jones.

"Are you gonna be the one to get it?" Jones inquired while singing "This Luv," his first tune of the night. As some of the captivated assembly swayed in awe, others sang along with this gifted entertainer. As the familiar sounds of "Knocks Me Off My Feet" began, the fervor increased. But that increase wasn't based solely on the tune itself; the fanatical applause was a combination of undying passion for song's original singer, Stevie Wonder, and the thrill of seeing and hearing this young star pay homage to a such an extraordinary talent. Performing such tracks as "Shorty (Got Her Eyes On Me)," "Have You Seen Her?," and "Where I Wanna Be" satisfied the audience's appetite, but the cake was yet to be frosted. "U Know What's Up" is what really started the party. Those who weren't already standing finally got out of their seats; there was no room for a Soul Train line, for every space was occupied by dancers, adept and otherwise.

When Ginuwine took to the stage, he also generated ample audience response. "Fix this mic" were the first words uttered by this sexy "bachelor." And that was enough to make the women wail. From the orchestra to the lodge to the mezzanine, screams of passion, infatuation, and obsession filled the theater. Exiting a transparent box wearing a white, full-length, faux fur coat, Ginuwine made his appearance. At this point, the concert was SPO--standing position only. After performing "Same Ol' G" and "I'm Sorry" (both which could barely be heard above the hollers of the females), Ginuwine's two male dancers removed their shirts and Ginuwine shed his jacket. The temperature instantly rose about 30 degrees. With one dancer erotically gyrating his hips and the other demonstrating his lingual skills, there wasn't hope for any cooling down. After changing from his black suit to a red leather outfit, G. sang "Pony," and the women again went crazy. Peeling off his shirt was hardly the way for Ginuwine to calm them down.

During his segment, Ginuwine did the James Brown "Get On Up" routine (in which his two "co-stars" attempted to cover him with a jacket and lead the unwilling entertainer offstage), and he tested the audience's knowledge of his music by singing partial verses from his two albums The Bachelor and 100% Ginuwine, daring the fans to complete the verses. He also had a genie onstage to grant him three wishes; for all three, G. wished to be a rapper. So with the face mask of Jay-Z, Ginuwine teased with a snippet from "Do It Again"; as DMX, the audience got a taste of "What's My Name"; and as Eminem, the crowd bounced to "My Name Is." But all good things must come to an end, and so did Ginuwine's show. Concluding the night with "None Of Ur Friends' Business," this attractive, alluring, and vibrant artist with the astounding dancing skills left an appeased, delighted, and tired audience.

The headlining familial act of K-Ci & JoJo was the last to command the stage. It was unclear whether it was the duo's lyrics or vocal performance, but couples were definitely feeling the vibe of "Last Night's Letter." Having calmed down after the stimulating performance of Ginuwine, the crowd seemed more relaxed during the end of the show. Some stood, some sat, but all enjoyed the passionate sounds of the Hailey Brothers. Dressed in white suits and black shirts, the guys' musical anthology included "Don't Rush," "Fee Fie Foe Fum," and "I Care 'Bout You." Traveling down memory lane, K-Ci & JoJo also sang their old Jodeci hits "Forever My Lady," "Come And Talk To Me," and "Stay." Though the love the audience had for the duo was apparent, they couldn't stifle their excitement when K-Ci & JoJo revived the life of the dynamic group from whence they came.

K-Ci's solo performance of "If You Think You're Lonely Now" elicited more screams, and the duo's "Happy Valentine's Day" wish to the ladies brought an appreciative applause. "Cry For You," "Freakin' It," "Feenin'," and "Tell Me It's Real" had everyone singing...singing off-key, that is, but no one cared. They were too enthralled by these two brothers from North Carolina. When K-Ci & JoJo sang "Get Up," those who were sitting did just that. And as the show was coming to a close, another famous pair of brothers stepped onto the stage--Aaron and Damion Hall. While singing the hooks to E-40's "Player's Ball" and Tupac's "Toss It Up," all four men entertained the roused crowd. As K-Ci & JoJo expressed their love for one another while singing "All My Life," the sentimental moment touched many; it was obvious that their bond is a strong one. The show would not have been complete without the performance of "Life." With the audience joining in, K-Ci & JoJo topped the night with the inquisitive and introspective tune.

From Ideal's raw energy to Donell Jones's suave demeanor, from Ginuwine's titillating persona to K-Ci & JoJo's sincere devotion, the Ladies' Nite Out tour was a sensual and exciting journey through the concept of romance.