For the R&B junkie in you.

Don't let the sex appeal scare you.

Both Robin Thicke and Jennifer Hudson have immense talent, but I couldn’t help being a little nervous attending their concert.  Would Robin really be that good live?  Would Jennifer be able to put on a good show after all she has endured fairly recently?  My answer was given through an aural journey of love, passion, loss, hope, sass, and soul for three glorious hours.  I was in R&B heaven, I think.

Robin Thicke mixed it up appropriately with some piano-accompanied ballads, some hip-grinding unadulterated sex music, and some get-on-your-feet feel good soul, adding a little Al Green and Jodeci for good measure.  He’s a good entertainer, though he was not without a few flubs – he decided to perform his worst song in my opinion – “Shooter” – while running around the stage, acting as if his hands were pistols, and “firing” into the crowd with such a sad attempt at street cred that I literally laughed through half the song.  Oh Robin, you don’t have to be gangsta.  Just keep singing those ballads, stay far away from your hippie hair of yesteryear, and we’ll keep on loving you.

After getting all hot and bothered from RT’s performance, it was time for Jennifer to bring it home – and did she ever.  I was literally in awe throughout her entire set.  She commanded the stage with her vocals, transferring raw emotion to the audience effortlessly.  She stuck to ballads for the most part, including covers by Whitney, En Vogue, and Chaka Kahn.  Her crowd interaction was incredible – even after all the awards and acclaim, J. Hud is probably the most humble diva ever.  From thanking the crowd multiple times, to joking around with the more boisterous attendants, to reaching out to touch most of the front row, you find it easy to fall in love with her character just as much as her talent.  My only complaints are that she is still riding the “Dreamgirls” express and didn’t properly showcase her new material.  And her set felt way too short in comparison to Robin’s.  Otherwise, it was an unbelievable show, and the crowd was an energized and beautiful mix of old and young, gay and straight, black and white.  Afterward, my head was swimming in a sea of soulful bliss.  Mmmmm…

Personal highlight: Just before Robin Thicke leaves the stage, he breaks out into “A Milli” by Lil Wayne.  I laughed.  I cheered.  I shook it like a Polaroid picture.  It was priceless.

Tweet It  Delicious It  Digg It  Reddit It  Stumble It