Last Tuesday I went to see the Queen Bey, my trustiest childhood and teenage companion to whose vocal sounds I performed countless (and may I add exquisite) bedroom mirror dance routines, live in concert. It was a pop diva first for me. I've only ever seen Pink and Katy Perry, both by chance, outside of stadiums, but have never felt the urge to actively contribute to a pop diva's wealth by attending one of her concerts. Long story short I spontaneously went, by myself, and I was and am still blown the flip away.
Whether it's the overwhelming amount of work that was obviously involved, one woman's ability to draw an ocean of people of all ages/genders/socioeconomic groups into one spot or the fact that Beyonce simply is one of the best in the business, the concert has definitely left a sweet and tenacious after taste in my life. I walked in with excitement, but little expectations and left the building feeling motivated, ambitious, emotional, proud and (all the cynics close your browser NOW) empowered. Yes, everyone - I felt empowered. I felt like nothing in this world can stop me, if only I have a clear vision of self, of my purpose and of what it takes to get to where I want to be. The concert was a first-hand demonstration of the fact that dreams can come true, as long as you outline what that actual dream of yours constitutes of. And then work your buns off for it of course.
The concert
Dull moments please walk on, because there are no seats for you at a Beyonce concert. Some people might get the idea that I'm too biased to say anything about the show itself, but let me tell you that after the experience I had, I will always, ALWAYS buy a ticket to her shows from now on for the rest of my lifetime. I don't care if she ends up doing acoustic folk at Age 80, while still busting out those edgy dance moves, I will be there, waiting in anticipation, lining up at that mother of a box office.
There has been a bit of speculation about whether or not she sings live or over the top of a pre-recorded track, but either way she sounded better than on record. Hard to believe, but true. Her dancing was spot on, rocking her glittery leotards once again made me feel good about my body shape (moderately sized boobs and big legs/ass over here too), the curly weave, the dark make-up, the hard earned sweat on her forehead, the glitter canons, the fire shooting guitar - short: it was a premium A class pop gig and most importantly it seemed authentic.
In between costume changes the audience was treated to short movies, all separately shot for the Mrs Carter World Tour (wouldn't expect a re-run of something at a Beyonce concert, now would you?), hinting what song/season the crowd could expect next. Energy levels in the room hit boiling point when her last short film played, picturing significant achievements and moments in her life. We got to see snippets of her "Life is but a dream" documentary that included family life, concerts, the whole "Beyonce/Sasha Fierce" transformation, Destiny's child, her meeting the president, selling out stadiums and just being a (somewhat) human being. Don't quote me on that but I believe 99 % of the crowd were equally as emotional as I was during that last short film (Yep...cried like a baby, je ne regrette riens).
The show itself evolved from a cool and a little aloof start with "Girls" and a mash up of "Bitter Sweet Symphony" and "If I were a boy", into what I would call different seasons. There was "sexy Beyonce season" (think: "Naughty Girl", "Crazy in Love", "Baby Boy"), running into "loved up Beyonce" ("1+1"), next up "Party Beyonce" ("We like to Party", "Freakum Dress"), into "Dirty South Beyonce" ("Why don't you love me"), into "empowering Beyonce" ("Love on Top", "Irreplacable") and last but definitely not least we got served "grateful Beyonce" with her closing number "Halo" - wearing a wicked costume-made shoulder accentuating long-sleeved hyper-embellished jumpsuit. (hyphenated idioms run the world!)
Her all female band and back up singers charmed the crap out of us bystanders and were showered with standing ovations throughout the gig. One would think a performer with an ego as large as Beyonce's wouldn't want anyone to steal her shine, but all her band members got their moment in the spot light and were received with praise from the audience. For me that's just another valid reason to respect Beyonce. Valuing other people's talents instead of trying to overpower them is a beautiful character trait and expresses her level of confidence and professionalism in a way that is most beneficial for all parties.
The aftermath
I was dreading a massive post-awesomeness come-down when the show wrapped up and the unavoidable truth of going back to a glamour-lacking job hit.
Thankfully the come-down is yet to come down. ahhh....AAAHHH...NO SHE DIDN'T.
As ridiculous as this may sound to you, attending this concert has kick-started an almost dead thought process in my brain. I've started thinking about my life again, my past, connecting long passed events with present strange behavioral patterns, questioning every path I take, asking myself why I'm feeling happy or miserable when I do, taking a step back when I feel overwhelmed, listening to my body, trying to concentrate my emotions into a stream of productivity or total relaxation, figuring out why I am the way I am and starting to trace the outlines of who I want to become, what I want to achieve, the shape and consistency of that mark I want to leave on this Earth ball.
And while it's a bit of a shame that it took participating in a pop culture event to make me question my current path, I'm pretty much open to enlightenment in any form or shape. Some people climb a mountain, some people find illumination in volunteering, I pay $ 200 for a concert ticket to feel a step closer to my purpose.
Life moves in mysterious ways.
