//Neon Reports: Year Of The Gentleman Tour With Ne-Yo And Jazmine Sullivan//

There was no shortage of soul on stage at the Lyric Opera House in Baltimore, MD Thursday night (Feb. 19) as Ne-Yo brought his Year of the Gentleman Tour with special guest Jazmine Sullivan to town.

The singer/songwriter is only three years into his career as an artist in the limelight but he’s already proven he’s a force to be reckoned with. He’s scored three Grammys, a handful of top 10 hits for himself, and a bounty of hits he’s written for other artists.

He’s also proven he’s never one to miss when he hits a stage. He’s opened for some big names including Alicia Keys on her As I Am tour last year, but nothing could prepare the crowd for that they’d witness on his headlining tour in support of his third album.

The evening started with a brief set by the new four-piece girl group Electrik Red. The girls were more like the Pussycat Dolls than Destiny’s Child as they used their in your face sexuality to seduce the crowd performing cuts from their forthcoming debut album, How To Be A Lady Vol. 1, including their singles “So Good” and “Drink in My Cup,” which they spliced with Beyonce’s “Single Ladies.” Each member–Naomi, Sarah, Lesley and Binki–took her turn introducing herself to the (at that point) less than half-filled theatre. Their tight choreography and tighter vocals showed real promise that they’d be able to fill the spunky girl group role left open by Danity Kane’s split. Why’d they choose the title of their album? “Cus we’re some f*ckin’ ladies,” they said drawing wild applause.

 

21-year-old Jazmine Sullivan wasn’t nominated for Best New Artist at this year’s Grammys for nothing. Since dropping her debut album, Fearless, last fall the Philadelphia native has become one of the brightest new stars in R&B music. Her seamless blend of traditional R&B while remaining contemporary is all apart of her massive appeal.

She appeared on stage backed by a full band and two background singers to start with a slowed down version of her hit single, the woman scorned anthem “Bust Your Windows.” The tempo soon picked up and the crowd roared with approval.

Her soul-drenched raspy voice continued to wow with goosebumps-inducing performances of songs like “Lions, Tigers, and Bears,” “In Love With Another Man,” and the epic foot-tapper “Switch.” But of course she saved the best for last. As she thanked Baltimore for helping to make the next song No. 1, the reggae-infused sounds of her hit debut single “Need U Bad” began. Butts went their separate ways with the seats they were sitting in as men and women of all ages stood up to say R&B needs Jazmine just as badly.

 

And then it was time for the main event. Ne-Yo, born Shaffer Smith, was ready to own the stage. He rose from under the stage and appeared at the top of a flashy staircase surrounded by his 8-piece band he calls the D Boyz. The smooth sounds of “Because of You” started his set, then he shimmied and glided his way into “Nobody,” “Single,” and “Mad” at the break-neck pace.

He came up for air briefly to introduce himself to the crowd. “A Ne-Yo show is about the music,” he said, but one could also say his show was as much about his endearing charm. He engaged the audience often with witty banter even dedicating “Make It Work” to a couple in the audience going three-years strong.

 

With three albums under his belt, his 75-minute set seemed far too short, but he made good use of his time packing in as many hits as possible with most of the songs coming from his masterpiece Year of the Gentlemen. Deep album cuts like “So You Can Cry,” which he claimed to have performed selfishly for himself, and the phenomenal ballad “Stop This World” were met with sweeping cheers.

He took a break from his own songs to see where the “true Ne-Yo fans” were with a sing-a-long section of songs he’s written for his musical pals which included ”Let Me Love You” by Mario, “Irreplaceable” by Beyonce and ”Spotlight” by Jennifer Hudson. But it was the surprise 2008 No. 1 hit “Take A Bow” by label-mate and good friend Rihanna that elicited the most reaction. The crowd erupted in applause, perhaps as a way to show their support for the singer going through a rough public ordeal, singing along to every word.

Other great moments of the night came from the remixed versions of certain songs. “Do You” was given a calypso spin, and his debut smash “So Sick” was infused with a reggae twist which allowed Ne-Yo to show off his fancy footwork with his female dancers he calls his “Sexy Loves” and male dancers called the “Perfect Gentlemen.”

Easily the most awaited songs were saved for last. After a hilarious intro from Ne-Yo looking for the women in the audience who pay their own bills and buy their own flashy things (“Pay attention to all the ladies being quiet, fellas,” he urged.), he went into the synthy perfection that is “Miss Independent.” Soon after he closed with the Grammy award winning, euro-pop smash “Closer.”

If the tour has yet to roll into your city, you might want to hurry and get your tickets. What we witnessed on stage at the Lyric that night was a star becoming an undeniable superstar right before our eyes.

Tweet This Buzz This Delicious Digg This Facebook Reddit Stumble This