David Archuleta and Demi Lovato - Wireimage

Something happened Sunday (November 1) in Atlantic City, New Jersey. The casino town normally filled to the brim with little old ladies ready to hit it big on the slots was flooded with tweens, teens, and twenty-somethings thanks to David Archuleta and Demi Lovato, two uber-talented teens from two of pop culture’s biggest juggernauts, American Idol and Disney.

AC’s Trump Taj Mahal was the home of the final rescheduled date on their joint tour that was supposed to wrap in August. As the night got underway, it was clear that although there was understandable disappointment initially regarding the date shuffle, it was well worth the wait.

First up was Archuleta. Unfairly dubbed the opening act until several shows were abruptly postponed (Oh, Disney!), Archie made the most of his impressive 50-minute set. He’s a bit of a minimalist when it comes to showmanship — not a bad thing. He skips the flash and gimmicks many singers use to cover up their shortcomings and gets right to the meat of performing live — actually singing, and doing so damn well.

Backed by a four-piece band, he went through songs from his self-titled debut album like “Touch My Hand,” “A Little Too Not Over You,” “Don’t Let Go,” and the surprisingly swaggerific “Your Eyes Don’t Lie,” where he allowed the crowd to take over the whistling since he’s “not the best” at it. After the performance, he asked the crowd what they were for Halloween and mistook someone yelling out that they were candy corn as “Mandy Moore.” Those small engaging moments with the audience made Archie’s show even better. Not only did we get to see his amazing talent, we got a feel for who he really is: sweet, funny, and a real charmer.

One of the biggest highlights from his set was a bare-bones cover of OneRepublic’s monster hit “Apologize.” Archie sat at his piano, spotlight fixed on him, and belted the tune with his smooth, haunting voice. Idol fans might recall season 8 winner Kris Allen’s version from the show — David’s slaughters his, and buries the original right next to it.

17-year-old Demi Lovato may not have the commercial success as her Disney colleague and pal Miley Cyrus, but what she has over Miley, and pretty much any other Disney-bred singer/actress combo, is an extraordinary voice.

Like David, Demi relied heavily on the basics. She had no costume changes, no pyro, no stunts. What she did have to accompany her silky vocals were a piano and guitar she switched up using during her hour-plus set, and a five-piece band.

“You guys are my last show so let’s make it memorable!” she told the crowd after warming up with “La La Land” and ” Gonna Get Caught.”

Her set was a perfect mix of songs from her debut album, Don’t Forget, and the painfully underrated sophomore set Here We Go Again.

As she went on performing, it was clear she was a novice — she looked a bit awkward trying to make use of the big stage — but has great potential to grow if given the chance. Even though her stage presence needs work, her voice shined. It was a bit strained from touring and the constant work on the set of the recently wrapped movie Camp Rock 2, which she promises will be “bigger and better” than the original, but all was forgiven, especially when she picked up her guitar to sweetly croon the three-parts ballad, one-part rocker “Catch Me.”

Taking a break from the party to get a bit serious, Demi dedicated “Two Worlds Collide” to a close friend who she says deals with bullying in school — something she’s all too familiar with. “Rumors and gossip can do so much more than a punch in the face,” she told the crowd about her days of being picked on in school. “You could go so much further being good to people. I didn’t do anything back [to the bullies], and I’m here on this stage tonight.”

Another dedication was a cover of Aretha Franklin’s “Natural Woman,” which went out to the moms in the audience. “I know it’s impossible to do these songs justice but I have fun singing them,” she said. Quite the contrary. Of course it wasn’t an Aretha-sized effort, but Demi held her own against the big song, her voice soaring with soul over the chorus.

That could be said of both Demi and David. In an industry dominated by big shtick and big images, these two will hold their own against it all by relying on what matters most: big talent.

Chris Brown - Getty Images

Chris Brown has a lot to prove. After a year that he admits has been one of his worst, he’s facing practically starting his career over. But it’s a challenge he intends to meet head-on.

He’s done well so far. His first single, “I Can Transform Ya” featuring Swizz Beatz and Lil Wayne, has already entered the Top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, and the second, the gorgeous ballad “Crawl,” is receiving rave reviews.

The only hurdle left to clear is getting back on stage to perform. Last night at Power 105.1’s annual Powerhouse concert at the IZOD Center in New Jersey, Brown not only cleared the hurdle, but made a record leap towards his comeback.

From the minute he took the stage just after 10PM, you could sense there was some apprehension coming from the 20-year-old singer, but he wasn’t going to crumble under the pressure. There’s no doubt he knew critics from bloggers to newspaper journalist were watching, waiting for him to stumble.

Satisfaction they did not receive. Brown put on a show full of energy, packed with hits, and had just a hint of vengeance towards those praying for his downfall.

He looked every bit the young Michael Jackson, donning a red and black sequins jacket to perform in, starting with “Transform Ya,” backed by several helmeted dancers. Swizz Beatz joined him on stage to add a little extra boost as this was his first time performing the new track.

More comparisons with the late King of Pop seemed inevitable, even completely warranted, as Brown breezed through fan favorites like “Yo (Excuse Me Miss),” “Gimme That,” “Take You Down,” and “Kiss Kiss,” in fine voice, all to deafening screams by the mostly-female audience.

Brown seemed overwhelmed by the show of support from the crowd at times. He took time out to sincerely thank his fans for sticking by him despite his past. “For all of y’all, I’ma be a better man,” he said, as the crowd screamed, many yelling “We love you, Breezy” in response. He vowed to entertain “Forever,” then went into his smash hit of the same name. Though the performance was flanked with technical difficulties — the autotune on his mic was turned off and thus it did not have any sound — he tried to make it work for as long as possible, performing the choreography without missing a beat. He stopped midway through when the sound issues were resolved. “Y’all wanna do that again?” he said with a charming smile. Well, obviously! He picked the song up from the top and the complete performance could be described as nothing but perfection.

After one more thank you session, he danced off stage — and back into the hearts of those who understand that immense talent such as Brown’s triumphs over personal turmoil any day.

Yoko Ono attends John Lennon: The New York City Years exhibit at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Annex NYC in May 2009 - Wireimage

I’m trapped. The room isn’t exceptionally small, but the crowd makes it feel that way. Sam Cooke’s immortal words come through the speaker and a small red light bulb behind his signature switches on. It’s the second time I’ve heard this song within the last five minutes or so and it’s quickly cut off and replaced by ACDC’s “Highway to Hell.” Another set of red light bulbs illuminates another set of signatures.

The music grows louder and the room feels smaller as more names of Rock and Roll Hall fame inductees light up on all sides of me. The songs change faster and begin to overlap. Now they don’t stop at all. My ears are being bombarded by a cacophony of drum hits, guitar solos, and high notes. Suddenly it dawns on me, on everyone in the room really. The houselights go down, and the signatures turn into strobe lights as we experience the last few seconds of “A Day in the Life.” We all cheer as the last chord is pounded out.

Happy Birthday John Lennon.

His birth certificate may have said otherwise, but John Lennon was a New Yorker. This weekend, the city that, so many years ago he called home, celebrated what would have been his 69th birthday in many ways. The Rock n Roll Hall of Fame Annex in Soho celebrated by granting free admission to the museum featuring, of course, an extensive collection of John Lennon’s personal items from his years spent in New York City.

Lennon’s iconic “New York” sleeveless shirt, his army jacket, and even those signature oval spectacles are all on display in a large white room at the back of the rock hall annex . They’ve been here since May when Yoko Ono herself donated them for the exhibit, but today feels different.

A man behind me reminisces about waiting in line to buy his first Beatles records as we make our way to the second leg of the museum tour. After a short film we are finally let loose to explore the shrine to rock legends with our own personal audio tour guides that magically know where I’m standing and play the appropriate music.

“Purple Haze” plays through the headphones as I stare with awe at Jimi Hendrix’s guitar. “Only the Good Die Young” creeps in as I hover above the notebook in which Billy Joel first wrote the lyrics.  I can only imagine what it must look like to an outsider. A large group of people, reveling in geekdom and dancing to music that only they can hear. And boy do they dance. Some even sing.

But we know why we’re here today. I certainly do. Angus Young’s schoolboy outfit is all well and good, but we’re here for John.

His room, the last stop on the tour, has a decidedly different feel to it. More like an apple store than a museum. I’m suddenly reminded of John’s white suit on the cover of the Abbey Road album. People sit on benches in front of four large screens around the room, each of which shows a different point in John Lennon’s New York years. There’s a thumping in my headphones…

“All we are saying. Is give peace a chance.”

I’m staring at the original lyrics to “Imagine.” It’s amazing how such a small piece of paper, smaller than those containing the lyrics to “woman” or “Nobody told me,” or any of the other lyrics on display, could have such a profound impact on the world.

But they did. And that’s why I’m here today. And that’s why this room is packed with people admiring everything that was John Lennon from his instruments to his clothing. And that’s why when I leave, approximately three hours after I strolled in, there will be a line around the block. Did I mention it was free?

Happy Birthday John Lennon.

Melanie Fiona performs at SOBs - Wireimage

“Expect to get to know me a little bit better, one on one,” Melanie Fiona told Neon Limelight on Monday (August 24) about what to expect of her upcoming show at New York City’s SOBs lounge, which would come a day later. “Expect to get to know a little bit more about the music I love to listen to and cover and artists that influence me — and just, you know, have a good time!”

“It’s just about putting on a great show, entertaining people and having a good time at the same time.”

When Tuesday night’s show came, it was clear she’d make good on those promises.

From the minute she took the stage, you knew you were in for something different than what’s currently being offered in today’s music. For starters, to help her entertain the crowd, a full band complete with a dazzling horn section accompanied her on stage, along with two background singers wearing some of the fiercest and highest heels you’ll see outside of the Las Vegas strip.

She had a DJ but not the kind that you’d typically find at a modern day R&B show. Instead of throwing on stale tunes from a tired vinyl for Melanie to sing to, he recreated the music live on his keyboard.

When she finally appeared, the sold out crowd definitely got to know more about Melanie. Her stature is petite — she’s more hair and wide grin than anything else — but her stage presence and voice are huge. Her spirit was felt as her sultry voice soared on the many tracks she performed from her upcoming debut album, The Bridge, like the sexy first single, “Give It To Me Right,” the heartache-filled “It Kills Me,” and the doo-wop inspired “You Stop My Heart.”

She’s every woman on the stage, but it’s a mixture that is sure to become undeniably Melanie Fiona. She’s Alicia Keys’s fiery passion, Beyonce’s sass and sex appeal, and Lauryn Hill’s unquestionable soul. Hill is most certainly one of the artists who’s inspired Fiona; The Fugee’s “Killing Me Softly” was among one of the covers she performed in addition to Sam Sparro’s “Black and Gold” and Kanye West’s “Heartless.”

Signaling that they loved everything they got to know about Fiona, the crowd erupted into thunderous applause that drowned out the faint “thank yous” Fiona could muster up while getting emotional. “You guys are why I do what I do,” she said, looking away at times to compose herself as she became teary-eyed. She then launched into her fist-pumping, foot-stomping anthem “Ay Yo” where she laments her struggle to overcome adversities in her life and career and encourage others to go after their dreams. “If you have a dream, something you believe, it’s time to set it free,” she sang on the bridge.

As she stood on the stage, her dreams realized, the room filled with newly minted fans felt privileged to see her live them out. To see Melanie Fiona perform is to see a star being born right before your eyes — scratch that — not just a star, but a future soul icon.

Sugary Ray perform in Baltimore, MD - Stacey Johnson/Neon Limelight

It’s been almost five years since Sugar Ray performed on stage together, and no one knew exactly how their return would be greeted by fans — or if there would even be fans left. Turns out, at the surprise of front-man Mark McGrath, there are plenty of fans eager to welcome the band back into the limelight.

“We never know what to expect. To get this kind of welcome is truly appreciated,” he told the crowd at Rams Head Live in Baltimore, Maryland where Sugar Ray played the fourth date of their summer tour. “I have to say this:  f*cking thank you guys!”

The audience’s warm reception, and the shots of liquor handed out on stage by tour opener singer/songwriter Amy Allen, gave the band the energy to electrify the venue with songs from their catalog of music dating back to their 1997 debut album, Floored, which contains their biggest hit, “Fly,”  up to 2009’s “Music For Cougars.”

Besides their own music, their almost 90-minute long set trotted along with the addition of some unexpected covers. They briefly paid tribute to Bob Marley and Journey with shortened renditions of “Jammin’” and “Don’t Stop Believing” respectively, and even made time to acknowledge Vanilla Ice with a dance break to “Ice Ice Baby.” But it was their full-on remake of up-and-coming rapper Kid Cudi’s stoner anthem “Day N Nite” that made for the night’s most interesting-yet-awesome surprises.

“Sometimes you just hear a song and it blows your mind,” McGrath said of the record. “You’re like ‘Damn, I wish I wrote that.’” Injecting it with sonic mixture of rock, reggae, and pop, they transformed the hip hop song as if they had written it — and made it even more spectacular than the original.

Sugar Ray’s tour continues through the summer, wrapping on September 26 at the House of Blues in Los Angeles.

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.

Gavin DeGraw is the real freakin’ deal. Anyone who’s spent even 2.4 seconds at Neon Limelight knows he’s among one of this site’s most cherished musicians. He has songs with mainstream appeal–his first hit from his platinum debut alum Chariot was the smash “I Don’t Want to Be.” The song is an American Idol contestant favorite and the theme song for the CW drama One Tree Hill. The insanely addictive first single from his self-titled sophomore album, “In Love With a Girl,” is a fixture on Top 40 radio. Yet through all pop success, Gavin’s maintained a sense of relative obscurity among today’s paparazzi trailed, weekly mag obsessed “artists.” His fans still feel like they’re in on this little known secret; like they’ve found this unscathed by the masses musical gem. Neon Limelight is damn proud to be in on that secret.

We’re also in on another secret: Marié Digby. The 25-year-old stunner from California became a youtube sensation last year when her cover of Rihanna’s “Umbrella” made its way onto MTV’s The Hills and pop radio. She put out her debut album called Unfold in April this year and has been touring to support it since. She landed the prime position as the tour opener for Gavin DeGraw’s summer tour and we hightailed it to Richmond, VA to catch the show.

Marié took the stage dressed casually in jeans, knee high boots, and a summery brown top with her band shortly after 9PM. No introduction. Just a few mic checks, sat at the keyboard and launched into the bouncy pop number “Stupid For You.” After the healthy applause from the audience, Marié introduced herself and let the crowd know a little about her journey from youtube to the stage at The National Theatre that night.

She traded her keyboard in for her wooden guitar and began to rock. But she’s not that kind of rocker, and she doesn’t try to be. Her near 35-minute long set showcased her simplistic pop-rock influenced songs more suited to AC radio than Top 40. She has a voice that is reminiscent of a matured Mandy Moore (not the “Candy” era Mandy. Think the more authentic “Wild Hope” era MM), sweet and honest; not very showy. But believe me, the crowd was never bored. Songs like “Fool,” Traffic,” and Digby’s melodic first single “Say It Again” kept the crowd swaying along. The biggest response was delivered, of course, by “Umbrella” with the crowd jumping in for a sing-a-long.

Marié wrapped her set with her ode to staying single, the infectious “Girlfriend.” For a girl who used to frequent coffee house open mic nights, she sure showed some big stage confidence–mostly. She’d turn her back to the audience a bit when she really started to rock out. But that’s nothing she can’t work on with a couple more tours. And with her strong outing on this tour, she’ll definitely land on another big one in no time before inevitably headlining her own.

The beauty of writing for a blog versus a newspaper or any other kind of controlled media outlet is I’m allowed to be a fan. I don’t have the pressure to present information in a pompous, cold, journalistic way. If I was forced to do so I think I’d have to skip this review. There’s no way for me not to gush uncontrollably about the live performance goodness that was Gavin DeGraw on stage.

The modest sales of his second album is no indication of just how strong his fanbase is. They’re rabid even. Many of them traveled miles and miles to the show having already been to a handful of other dates on the tour. The mostly female crowd, ranging from teens to late 40s, erupted into hysterical screams and cheers as the lights went down to signal the start of the Gavin DeGraw experience. And boy was it a damn good experience. Every minute of his nearly 2 hour long set captivated the packed theatre. No frills needed.

He casually strolled onto the stage, guitar in hand, wearing a red and white checkered button-up shirt, black hat, weathered brown boots and brown belt. He’ll never win any awards for his fashion sense, but why on earth should that matter? This man is all about his music.

He launched right into “Relative” incorporating his quirky personality and signature bar-lover language into the performance. “But any friend is best when you’re freezing in the f*ckin’ rain,” he sang in the second verse. He sat at the his sparkling black piano for the pop masterpiece, and easily one of my favorite songs, like, ever, ”Crush.”

The piano to guitar trade-off continued steadily throughout the night as Gavin performed fan favorites like “Follow Through,” ”We Belong Together” and “Untamed.”

An all out party broke out when Gavin leapt from the piano to perform “Chemical Party” mixing it with his soulful rendition of Ike and Tina Turner’s “Proud Mary.”

Other spontaneous moments would arise during the night as Gavin and band celebrated the end of this particular tour outing. Gavin took to the guitar to perform an original birthday song for anyone celebrating a birthday–coincidentally, nearly the entire front section claimed it to be their birthday. Yeah, sure.

The party rolled on through electrifying performance after performance up to the new single “Cheated On Me,” comeback rocker hit “In Love With A Girl” to the song that put GDG on the map, “I Don’t Want To Be.” Gavin and the band cleared the stage after that song wrapped, but no one was fooled. A DeGraw staple was missing: “Chariot.”

DeGraw came back but took the stage alone. The band was nowhere to be found. He sat at his piano and started to play James Taylor’s “Bartender Blues.” He then got a little sexy treating the crowd to a medley of Marvin Gaye hits like “Sexual Healing” and “Let’s Get It On” before inviting the band back for a cover of “Walking in Memphis.” He ended the incredible encore with an energy-filled performance of “Chariot.”

If ever there was an artist with the complete package it’s Gavin DeGraw. As great as he is on wax, he is 3x better live. I guess you can add Neon Limelight to the list of rabid fans willing to travel the distance to catch a live Gavin DeGraw show. He’s worth it.

Check Out More Exclusive Photos In The Gallery

Check out Gavin performing “Sexual Healing/Let’s Get It On” and “Belief” on the other side.

Sexual Healing/Let’s Get It On

Belief

There’s a huge trend going on in the music industry right now. Fans either love it or hate it, but all the cool kids are doing it. Coke? Noooo! (well….) I’m talking about re-releasing an album!

Several of 2007 (even 2006) releases have gotten or are getting the repackaging deal and I thought we should highlight a few. Here are the re-releases we’re most excited for and the reasons why you should or shouldn’t pony up your hard earned cash again:

Artist /Album: Chris Brown/Exclusive: The Forever Edition

Release Stats: 19-year-old Chris Brown’s sophomore album, “Exclusive,” was originally released on November 6, 2007. It seemed as though the album would have a bit of trouble living up the the youngster’s smash debut album–first week sales of  294,500 units were respectable but slightly disappointing for an artist with Breezy’s hype and fanbase. The first single, “Wall to Wall,” failed to make much noise on the Billboard Hot 100 despite having a big budget video to go along with it.

It wasn’t until the T-Pain featured banger “Kiss Kiss” that CB appeared to be back in the hit-maker seat. The song rocketed to number one and had everyone jocking the country boy from Tappahannock, VA all over again. The Stargate produced scorcher “With You,” followed and became another huge radio hit for Brown. Looking to capitalize on the momentum, CB & Co went to work repackaging the album.

Re-Release Stats: Released June 3, 2008, “Exclusive: The Forever Edition” boasts four new tracks: “Heart Aint A Brain,” “Picture Perfect Remix” featuring Hurricane Chris and Bow Wow, “Superhuman” and the first single from the re-release, the Euro-Pop inspired dance track “Forever.” But it doesn’t stop there. The set is also repackaged with a DVD containing behind the scenes footage from CB’s “Up Close and Personal” tour, interviews, outtakes and more.

Stand-Out Bonus Track: Of the four new track, the stand-out has to be “Superhuman” featuring singer/songwriter Keri Hilson. CB has a thing for dueting with female vocalists with much bigger voices than his ( “No Air” with Jordin Sparks) but, for some reason, he never gets lost in the shuffle. Chris has a voice that is hard to ignore–whether you like it or not. Though, “Superhuman” is an insanely beautiful ballad that probably does more to showcase Hilson’s strong vocals than Brown’s.

Purchase Worthiness: For the CD, no–the new tracks don’t add so much that you’d need to purchase the others all over again; definitely check out “Superhuman,” though. But for the DVD, yes. The kid is at his best when he’s performing. The visual entertainment is worth the paper.

Artist/Album: Rihanna/Good Girl Gone Bad: Reloaded

Release Stats: Rihanna, the 20-year-old model-esque beauty from Barbados, is no stranger to topping the charts. In her short three year career, she has already been to the top of the summit numerous times with her hit singles (”S.O.S.” “Umbrella” “Take a Bow”). However, when it comes to topping the charts with an album, Rihanna (born Robyn Rihanna Fenty) has yet to successfully reach the top of that mountain.

Rih’s third album “Good Girl Gone Bad,” released June 5, 2007, debuted at #2 on the Billboard 200 Album Chart behind T-Pain selling 162,000 copies. Not bad numbers in this download age but not as strong as an album with a monster hit like “Umbrella” should have achieved.

The album continued to spawn hit after hit ( “Shut Up and Drive” “Don’t Stop the Music” “Hate That I Love You”) while making a slow and steady, if not unremarkable, climb to platinum status. Knowing there was much more milk to get out of that cow, the album was dressed up for it’s second showing.

Re-Release Stats: “Good Girl Gone Bad: Reloaded” hits stores June 17, 2008–a little over a year after its original release. It already has one chart topper under its belt. “Take a Bow” made Billboard chart history when it soared from #53 to #1–making it the  second largest jump to the top spot in Hot 100 history.

Joining “Take a Bow” are only two more new tracks; “Disturbia” and a duet with Maroon 5, “If I Never See Your Face Again.”

The re-release is packaged as a CD/DVD set with a full concert show in Manchester, England including behind the scenes footage.

Stand-Out Bonus Track: The release’s first single, “Take a Bow,” turned out to be the feminist anthem to rival fellow pop diva Beyoncé’s “Irreplaceable” (both written and produced by Ne-Yo and Stargate) but it’s the Chris Brown co-written third single “Disturbia” that takes the cake. Centered around a dreamy pop fantasy of bass and synths, Rihanna makes good friends with the Vocoder, delivering yet another undeniably catchy hook of “bum bum bee dum bum bum bee dum bum.” My guess: Rihanna will rule the charts again this summer.

Purchase Worthiness: For the CD, no. The new tracks are all being released as singles so you’ll get your fill of them on the radio and undoubtedly download them from iTunes. This is, of course, assuming you’ve already purchased the original. For the DVD, yes. While most will be quick to say they don’t enjoy Rihanna’s live performances, this concert is very entertaining. It’s also a treat to watch Rihanna take shape as a full fledged superstar right before our eyes; anyone who has seen a few of her performances in 2005 will be amazed by the growth shown.

Artist/Album: Maroon 5/It Won’t Be Soon Before Long – Deluxe

Release Stats: The Californian five-some Maroon 5, lead by frontman Adam Levine with James Valentine (guitar), Jesse Carmichael (keyboard), Michael Madden (bass),  and Matt Flynn (drums), released their long awaited follow-up to 2002’s “Songs About Jane” after almost five years of nonstop touring for the first record. “It Won’t Be Soon Before Long” landed into stores on May 22 2007 and quickly flew off store shelves. The album debuted at the top of the Billboard 200, smashing the competition with a staggering 429,000 copies sold in the first week.

The first single from the set, “Makes Me Wonder,” was also a huge success–it holds the record for the best leap to # in Billboard Hot 100 history for jumping from 62-1.

The singles that followed didn’t exactly blow up like “Makes Me Wonder” though, they were far from flops. “Wake Up Call” cracked the top 20 and “Won’t Go Home Without You” broke through the top 50.

The album flew past platinum in no time thanks to its buoyant singles and the band’s reputation for touring until they can’t anymore (the band lost their original drummer, Ryan Dusick, due to an arm injury caused by constant playing). But the band wanted something more for the fourth single, so they called in friend Rihanna to help with “If I Never See Your Face Again” to jump start the re-release.

Re-release Stats: Keeping with the CD/DVD trend, the revamped version of “It Won’t Be Soon Before Long” comes with a full concert DVD shot in Montreal with behind the scenes footage. The DVD also includes a collection of the band’s music videos.

“New” bonus songs are scarce–the only song specifically recorded for the re-release is the duet version of “If I Never See Your Face Again” featuring Rihanna. The guys do, however, load the disc up with five B-sides worth a listen: “Until You’re Over Me,” “Story,” “Losing My Mind,” “Infatuation,” and “Miss You Love You.”

Look for this deluxe album to hit stores July 8, 2008.

Stand-Out Bonus Track: As previously stated, there are no other actual bonus songs besides the duet with Rihanna, which is good if you’re a fan of hers. Most die-hard M5 fans do not consider this version an improvement over the original.

Among the B-sides, the stand-out has to be “Infatuation.” “Infatuation” has this kind of 80’s funky, genre crossing production style that explains why even hip-hop heads love the band (alternative rock with a little bit of soul is the caption for their official site afterall). Adam’s falsetto is in super fine form on the slick, simple chorus.

Purchase Worthiness: The lack of new songs is pretty disappointing–the B-Sides have been circulating the internet since the beginning of the year. But these guys are really something to behold live. The DVD concert will make your purchase worthwhile and if not, the director’s cut of their hot videos will make up for it.

Artist/Album: Fergie/The Dutchess – Deluxe

Release Stats: Stacy Ferguson aka Fergie, front woman for hip hop/pop outfit Black Eyed Peas, released her debut solo album “The Dutchess” on September 19 2006. First week sales of 142,000were pretty strong; the album to debut at #3 on the Billboard 200 thanks to bouncing pop singles “London Bridge” and “Fergalicious” but the album soon got eaten up by the competition around its release–Justin Timberlake and Beyoncé both released their highly anticipated sophomore albums in September of 2006, not to mention new albums by Clay Aiken and John Mayer were also released around that time.

The pace picked up with the release of Fergie’s third single, the Polow Da Don produced, Ludacris featured “Glamorous.” But what really got the album to 3 million sold and counting was the smash hit “Big Girls Don’t Cry.” It also didn’t hurt that the video for the single feature the smoking hot Milo Ventimiglia of Heroes (Though, he will always be Jess Mariano from Gilmore Girls to me). “Clumsy” followed and cemented Fergie as one of the premiere singles artists out today.

Re-release Stats: Unlike the other three re-released albums highlighted, “The Dutchess – Deluxe” was released on May 27 2008 with little fanfare. Besides a few TV performances to promote it, not much was put into making the re-release a huge success. There was no big budget video produced for any of the bonus songs and no big radio push for a new single. But that’s all to be expected from an album that has had every last drop of juice squeezed out of it over almost a year and a half.

Because the re-release wouldn’t get a huge push, it wasn’t redressed for success either. It has four bonus tracks that you’ve probably heard already: “Labels or Love,” “Party People,” “Clumsy Remix ft Soulja Boy,” and “Barracuda.”

Stand-Out Bonus Track: This horse has been beaten so lifeless that it’s hard to pick a stand out. None of the bonus tracks grab you in a way that you’d be dying to add them to your mp3 player. The closest pick would be “Party People” featuring Nelly. The song is fun and upbeat and the beat is undeniably club-ready.

Purchase Worthiness: Not even the bonus  behind the scenes footage you can access with the CD on your computer makes this re-release worth it. Too much time has past to make this re-release a true necessity. Two of the four bonus songs can be found on other discs: “Labels or Love” appears on the Sex and the City soundtrack; “Party People” will appear on Nelly’s upcoming “Brassknuckles.” If you absolutely need Fergie’s music videos in HD, then the repackage is worth it. If not, save your pennies.

Don’t want to spend your hard earned money buying these CDs again? We got you covered! You can win all four albums! And all you have to do is reply to this feature using a valid email address. We’ll use that email address to contact the winner so make sure the email address you use to comment is yours and works!

The contest will end on July 11th so get those comments in!

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

The “Making The Band 4 Tour” starring Cheri Dennis, Donnie Klang, Day26 and Danity Kane rolled into Baltimore, Maryland last night. The tour has been plagued by numerous show cancellations due to low interest, but it didn’t look like B-More was affected–the Pier Six Concert Pavilion where the concert was held was packed.

Before I get into the show, I have to admit a few things:

I loved DK on their first album, watched every episode of MTB4 last season, but I was just not really loving what I heard on this album besides “Damaged.” I like Day26 but I wasn’t fully convinced I’d love their live show. I bought my tickets for the show shortly after the MTB4 season finale so the excitement and novelty of the show was still strong–months later, however, I found myself sorely regretting the purchase and wasn’t really looking forward to going. Now that I’ve gotten that off my chest….

The show was a fast-moving 2 hours and 45 minutes of nonstop energy and hamming by MTV’s favorite reality TV artists. The only artist on the bill that did not come from the MTB series was Cheri Dennis (though, she did provide the song for the opening credits of Making The Band 3’s first season). 

Cheri Dennis started the show off. Sadly, because of the low motivation to see the show, Neon Limelight writer Story Gilmore and I ended up nearly an hour late for the show. We completely missed her set. DOH!

We arrived right in time to catch Donnie’s performance of “Dr. Love” and the first single off his album “Come Into My World” (being released August 19th), “Take You There.” Donnie delivered a pretty good performance, but he has a lot of work to do building up his stage presence and making us believe he is that kind of artist.

So, remember when I said I didn’t know if I’d be impressed by Day26’s live show….well, I was! The minute the guys stormed the stage with “Come With Me” they had me hooked! Each guy–Will, Que, Brian, Mike, and Robert–proved why they were chosen to make the band. They started off their show with crazy energy, dancing and interacting with the crowd like seasoned vets.

They kept up the same energy throughout their entire set, running through stand-out tracks on their debut self-titled album like “In My Bed,” “Co Star,” “Exclusive,” (they were joined on stage by Donnie for a slowed-down version with Donnie at the keyboard crooning along), “Since You’ve Been Gone,” and their first single, the blazingly hot up-tempo “Got Me Going.”

Day26 All-stars (as Diddycalled ‘em) Will and Que definitely got the crowd going, constantly flirting with the crowd and showing the ladies what they’re working with.

Finally, the ladies of Danity Kane, Aubrey, Aundrea, Dawn, D. Woods, and Shannon, hit the stage opening with “Bad Girl.” They romped around the stage in incredibly short dresses playfully lifting them to reveal short-shorts.

New Orleans native turned Baltimore resident after Hurricane Katrina, Dawn, looked extra excited to be performing that night proclaiming to the crowd, “I’m Home!!!” It’s alright, I’m gonna pretend she wasn’t talking down about Baltimore on an episode of MTB4 last season. We love her anyways.

The girls are definitely getting better and better as performers. One complaint: the lack songs performed from the first album–maybe even overall. Their set was probably no more than 25-30 minutes and out of two albums they only performed two songs from their debut: “Right Now” and their hit ”Showstoppers.”

I may have been the only one phased by the short set and lack of songs from the first album as everyone else seemed to be thoroughly enjoying every minute of the show. They even launch into a chant of “DK! DK! DK!” when the girls took a short break before performing “Poetry.”

Other songs performed were “Ecstasy,” “Striptease,” “Pretty Boy,” “Lights Out,” and their smash hit “Damaged.”

Overall, the show was great. Story and I left completely happy that we sucked it up and went. I also left with a new found love for Will. Oh big Willie…the swooning was nonstop. Check out the gallery and you can see my biased from the pics I took.

The show rolls into Chicago, IL June 1st, Las Vegas, NV June 6th, Alpine, CA June 7th, and Los Angeles, CA June 9th. Go get your tickets!