Chris Brown Concert Review: The Expected And The Unexpected

Chris Brown has had a level of success that many artists never reach. He’s world renown star since he was in his teens and this seasoned veteran of the road showed off his live performance skills in Concord. He brought along Tyga, Bow Wow and T-Pain to warm up the thousands in attendance. Although they were all good in their own right, Brown is an artist who can carry a show without the help of anyone.

T-Pain’s new album “Revolver,” is full of what Pain’s fans have come to expect. So is his live set. The auto tuned vocalist not only offered up choreographed dance routines but some of the most memorable hooks ever recorded.

The thing about Pain that surprises some casual fans is that the man is extremely talented. Inside and outside of the booth. He showed off his vocal range, got the audience’s hands up, and left the stage with his opinion on what has become the Chris Brown saga. “Get off my boy,” said Pain. And with that it was on to the next act.

After Bow Wow showed he was all grown up and Tyga showed he’s a legitimate up-and-comer Chris Brown emerged and the show began. Brown walked the length of the stage with a crew of dancers in tow. He is a compete performer and was sure to showcase every facet of his talent. Dance routines went on for minutes, his vocal ad libs were impressive and the stage was built for an arena tour.

If there’s one word to describe Brown’s on stage persona it’s professional. There were no mistakes, no missed cues and rarely was he off key. The choreography was flawless and Brown connected to the audience through his massive song catalog. One that runs the gamut from “With You,” to “Look at me Now.” Brown showed off his rhyming skill and rapped his verse and Busta’s verse on the song that took over the air waves this past summer.

The set lasted nearly two hours and the encore literally made the venue glow. Brown re-emerged in what can only be described as a glow stick jacket. And matching helmet. As the beat to “Beautiful People,” pulsed through the venue Brown and his dance troupe, wearing matching outfits, put on a show that won’t soon be forgotten. Once again it was his ability to change up what was expected that made the glow in the dark uniforms work. That, paired with the perfect song, made it one of the best encores of this year’s concert season.

There’s no avoiding talk of Brown’s off stage issues. Many fans did abandon him when the revelations of what was taking place in his personal life covered magazine covers and head lined Hollywood talk shows. But, for the people who put that aside, accepted his apology and bought a ticket to see him in action, there was no regretting the money spent. Brown is a showman through and through. There’s no denying he’s one of the most talented artist of our time.