Neon Reports: Alicia Keys’ As I Am Tour

Alicia Keys’ “As I Am” tour stopped in Baltimore, MD Sunday night with tour openers Jordin Sparks and Ne-Yo. I had been reading the reviews since the tour kicked off in April. They were quite mixed. Some praised Keys for stretching her wings with a show a little more in line with her R&B/Pop competitors, others stopped short of bashing her for not coming out at the piano and staying there the whole night. As this is one Keys’ first big arena tours, the mixed reviews were to be expected, but I was excited to get to judge it all for myself.

I’ve made no secret that this tour was one of my dreams; I’ve been a huge Alicia Keys fan since falling in love with her first single, “Fallin’,” in 2001. I am also an avid Ne-Yo lover, having seen him live on tours I believe he’s too good for (sharing co-headliner billing with Chris Brown on the Up Close and Personal Tour and performing with a crop of flavor of the month stars at Screamfest). So, I made an extra effort to watch the show objectively and not get lost in my “standom.”

Keys’ pal, talented newcomer Erika Rose, and one of Alicia’s long time background singers, the ridiculously talented Jermaine Paul got the crowd warmed up with a very quick set. Soon after, the show got started with Jordin Sparks.

Sparks, who was battling vocal problems early in the tour, was in fine voice, running through her short but entertaining set that included her first hit “Tattoo” and new single “One Step at a Time.” You wouldn’t know that by the crowd response. The 1st Mariner Arena probably wasn’t even half full when the season six American Idol winner took the stage but those that were there seemed like they couldn’t care less to see the gorgeous 18-year-old amazon belt her little heart out. Probably noticing the drowsy reaction, she politely asked the crowd to do her a favor and stand up for her last song, a solo version of her hit duet with Chris Brown, “No Air.” “I really don’t have to sing this one–I can leave now” she joked with the crowd. Still, not a lot of people heeded her request but Sparks delivered a very strong performance.

Determained to break away from the Chris Browns and Omarions of the world, Ne-Yo took the stage with his band and dancers all dressed in their extremely dapper attire, setting the stage for the singer/songwriter’s most spohisticated tour outing yet.

His set played out like a love story–using his numerous hits and stand out album tracks to illustrate the tale. He showed off some impressive dance moves that would make even Usher watch his back a little.

Opening with his newest hit “Closer” he ran through a hit filled set that included the Michael Jackson inspired “Can We Chill.” “Do You,” “Make it Work,” “Go On Girl,” and smash hits from his debut album “Sexy Love” and “So Sick.” Sexy songs like “Mirror” and “Say It” were smashed together in a delicious medley that left the most seated crowd swooning.

Don’t blame Ne-Yo for the crowd being seated for most of the show–I soon found out that’s just the nature of this kind of tour–Ne-Yo also discovered this earlier in the tour the hard way.

Drenched in sweat from giving his performance 150%, Ne-Yo closed out his show with “Because of You” thanking everyone for all their support and plugging his new album coming out this August. He’s grown into quite the performer over the last two years since his debut. There’s no doubt he’ll continue to grow and become one of R&B’s greats–on stage and off.

Finally, the woman we’ve been waiting all night to see was about to take the stage. The crowd grew anxious knowing the 11-time Grammy winner would be right in front of their eyes in a matter of moments. The lights went down and a video of a rousing church service played on the jumbo-screen. The pastor was played by comedian Cedric the Entertainer. He addressed the congregation: “One of our own is about to enter the music world….little Alicia Keys.” As the video cut to the gorgeous 27-year-old Alicia–hair back in curls, white top and blue jeans–the audience in the 1st Mariner Arena erupted into cheers. “There’s a star-maker out there,” Entertainer told Keys. She was sent off to go find him.

At last, there she was. Dressed in a Tina Turner-like fringed red tank and shiny denim jeans, she took us on her journey to stardom starting out with a solo version of her duet with Cham, “Ghetto Story.” She followed with the Swizz Beats produced “Waiting For Your Love.”
Like Ne-Yo’s set, Keys’ was supposed to tell a story–her journey in the music industry from girl group to the star she is today. At times, though, the story was hard to follow. But any points she lost in execution, was made up by passion.

The girl group segment included some of Keys’ most Motown inspired songs like “Where Do We Go From Here,” “You Don’t Know My Name,” and “Teenage Love Affair.” It was quite disappointing to see “You Don’t Know My Name” reduced to a medley as it’s by far one of Keys’ most enduring hits–and one of my personal favorites.

As her girl group got bigger, they were told to sex it up more. Keys allowed her groupmates/background singers to do the sexing with their version of “Lady Marmalade.”

She returned with “Heartburn,” slinking sexily across the stage’s catwalk to prove she can do that too–when she wants to. “But I wanted to do something special, something different. I wanted to play my piiiaaanooo! Can I do that for y’all?” “HELL YEAH!” was the answer to that question from the crowd.

Keys sat confidently at her shiny black baby grand and launched into “Sure Looks Good to Me,” and got playful with “How Come You Don’t Call Me.”

The hits kept coming at the piano and off. The female strength anthem “Superwoman” had everyone singing along; they couldn’t help but dance along when the drum-heavy “I Need You” began (one of my favorite performances of the night!). Keys and background singer Jermaine Paul got sexy with “Diary/Tender Love.” The Prince influenced “Like You’ll Never See Me Again” was another highlight with Alicia’s powerful voice and skillful piano playing proving why she is hailed by many critics as the true new queen of R&B.

As the show winded down, fan-favorite “Fallin’” and the song that would not go away on the radio for the last part of 2007, “No One,” were played with vigor and passion. The band was introduced and Keys danced off stage saying goodnight. Many began to leave but others noticed a major hit was missing.

The lights were still down; the crowded began to wonder if she’d really come back. Suddenly, a spotlight illuminated a white piano at the end if the catwalk. Keys walked out in a flowing white top and jeans to perform one last time. She dedicated the last song to all of her fans. The crowd grew silent and waited. As Keys’ play the first few notes of “If I Aint Got You” the crowd nearly lost their minds. For the first time all night, everyone was up on their feet singing along. As the song reached a climax, the platform under Alicia and the piano began to rise and spin around allowing Keys’ to see and thank everyone for their support. It was the perfect ending to an amazing show.

So, which set of critics do I agree with? I’ll have to say the group praising Alicia for her growth. The show was well balanced–a great mix of performer showmanship and her classic small venue appeal
I left feeling like I just witnessed something special, something different–a growing artist who will go on to be a legend; her and her piiiiaaaanoooo.
photos: wireimage