Return of "the Voice"
So ... I guess after traveling some 6 hours, sitting through miles of bumper to bumper traffic and having only a moo-latte from Dairy Queen for dinner ... just to get to Atlanta's Phillips Arena -- I can finally come out of the closet. Yes, I am a Mariah Carey fan. Yes, I LOVE Mariah Carey. Yes, I have the original and the limited editions of the Emancipation. And while I'm confessing, I own both the soundtrack to Glitter ... and the actual movie. I feel so much better now ... Ok on to the concert highlights.
The opening was sadd, y'all -- very saddddddd ... it was an hour --- a WHOLE hour ---- of Sean Paul. And guys, I did not understand not ONE word that man said the entire night! I was, however, very impressed with the talents of his half-dressed backup dancers whose energetic gyrations dazzled and amazed .... just as I was saying how I should have brought Maimee, his "very special" dancer came on stage and performed her ur uh "very special dance." Not kid-friendly ...
BUT after about another half-hour or so, the Voice emerged and it was worth the torture, I mean wait.
Sure, there were moments when she spaced out and forgot which song she was supposed to sing ... or that she was supposed to sing a song at all. And sure, the song transitions were shaky and her exits (merely walking off stage right -- no smoke machines, no pyro ... can we get some pyro up in Phillips?) were awkward, given the fabulousness of her re-entries. But she's a DIVA and we forgave her. I mean, after all, my girl's hair literally blew all night. What other diva can have wind machines blowing her hair from every stage angle -- at an indoor concert? It was very "Diana Ross in Central Park" without the rain --although if Mimi could have talked the arena folks into it, she would've had rain. (she did have pink confetti, though)
Mimi started off the night in a what basically amounted to a black bra and panties (with an "I'm ready for bed --and not sleeping" see-through robe/cape), but she was working it! There were four wardrobe changes. After the Victoria's Secret outfir, there was trashy chic (don't hate) with cutoff capris and .... well, another bra. And we can't forget the patent leather pumps! Then there was the Toni Braxton ensemble (sidenote: did y'all hear Prince's second wife is divorcing him for allegedly having an affair with latest protege and Toni B.'s sister Tamar???). Then there was the "other" Toni Braxton ensemble ... and then her flesh-colored cocoon which she wore for her encore during which she appropriately sang Butterfly.
OK, I'll be honest, there were awkward moments when she attempted to "dance" along with the music videos that were on blast on the jumbo screen. (I miss ODB)
But let's face it, Mariah is NOT Janet. She's NOT Madonna. and she darn sure ain't Beyonce. She doesn't have to do all that .... her VOICE is why she had the number one selling album of 2005 and like a gazillion number one records before that. And last night, "the voice" was impeccable and worth the wallet-gouging cost of admission. For true fans, Miss Mimi could have come on stage in sack cloth and sat in a folding chair as long as she sang like she sang the first time we heard her on Aresenio Hall. And that she did -- she sang. And she sang ... and she saaaaang. And this Mariah fan couldn't have asked for any more than that.
... and the special guest spots by JD and her BFF da Brat didn't hurt ... nor did having her favorite boy joy Trey Lorenz sing backup. Speaking of, our favorite alto drop his new album (get this title) Mimi presents Trey Lorenz -- Sept. 18!
The opening was sadd, y'all -- very saddddddd ... it was an hour --- a WHOLE hour ---- of Sean Paul. And guys, I did not understand not ONE word that man said the entire night! I was, however, very impressed with the talents of his half-dressed backup dancers whose energetic gyrations dazzled and amazed .... just as I was saying how I should have brought Maimee, his "very special" dancer came on stage and performed her ur uh "very special dance." Not kid-friendly ...
BUT after about another half-hour or so, the Voice emerged and it was worth the torture, I mean wait.
Sure, there were moments when she spaced out and forgot which song she was supposed to sing ... or that she was supposed to sing a song at all. And sure, the song transitions were shaky and her exits (merely walking off stage right -- no smoke machines, no pyro ... can we get some pyro up in Phillips?) were awkward, given the fabulousness of her re-entries. But she's a DIVA and we forgave her. I mean, after all, my girl's hair literally blew all night. What other diva can have wind machines blowing her hair from every stage angle -- at an indoor concert? It was very "Diana Ross in Central Park" without the rain --although if Mimi could have talked the arena folks into it, she would've had rain. (she did have pink confetti, though)
Mimi started off the night in a what basically amounted to a black bra and panties (with an "I'm ready for bed --and not sleeping" see-through robe/cape), but she was working it! There were four wardrobe changes. After the Victoria's Secret outfir, there was trashy chic (don't hate) with cutoff capris and .... well, another bra. And we can't forget the patent leather pumps! Then there was the Toni Braxton ensemble (sidenote: did y'all hear Prince's second wife is divorcing him for allegedly having an affair with latest protege and Toni B.'s sister Tamar???). Then there was the "other" Toni Braxton ensemble ... and then her flesh-colored cocoon which she wore for her encore during which she appropriately sang Butterfly.
OK, I'll be honest, there were awkward moments when she attempted to "dance" along with the music videos that were on blast on the jumbo screen. (I miss ODB)
But let's face it, Mariah is NOT Janet. She's NOT Madonna. and she darn sure ain't Beyonce. She doesn't have to do all that .... her VOICE is why she had the number one selling album of 2005 and like a gazillion number one records before that. And last night, "the voice" was impeccable and worth the wallet-gouging cost of admission. For true fans, Miss Mimi could have come on stage in sack cloth and sat in a folding chair as long as she sang like she sang the first time we heard her on Aresenio Hall. And that she did -- she sang. And she sang ... and she saaaaang. And this Mariah fan couldn't have asked for any more than that.
... and the special guest spots by JD and her BFF da Brat didn't hurt ... nor did having her favorite boy joy Trey Lorenz sing backup. Speaking of, our favorite alto drop his new album (get this title) Mimi presents Trey Lorenz -- Sept. 18!
posted by Teree @ 8:27 PM
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