Photo by Denise Figueroa.Currently on a world tour, Justin Timberlake made his stop in Phoenix last night to a sold out crowd at the US Airways Center. Now in his second month of touring, Timberlake lost track of the city he was in.
“Las Vegas!” he exclaimed when addressing the audience. Timberlake’s last stop before Phoenix was in Vegas, where he played for two consecutive nights.
He immediately realized his mistake by saying, “Wait, where we at? We’re in Phoenix tonight!” before singing his first song of the night, “Pusher Love Girl.”
The three-hour concert consisted of 33 songs and ceaseless dancing by Timberlake. The singer incorporated well-known choreography by fans of his earlier hits such as “Rock Your Body” and “Like I Love You,” along with new routines for material from the two albums he released this year.
“Phoenix, let me see you shake your ass!” he said to a happy-to-oblige crowd. But Timberlake didn’t only entertain with impeccable singing and dancing. The multitalented musician also played piano and guitar.
His show wasn’t the least bit hackneyed for someone that’s been performing professionally for most of his life.
The personable singer interacted with the audience and was clearly focused on making the night memorable. When a fan offered him a cup of beer, he declined by saying, “I already forgot where I am tonight. I don’t need to get any more drunk.”
After some peer pressure from his band and the entire venue chanting, “Chug! Chug! Chug!” he accepted the beer, chugged it on stage, and proceeded to proudly belch into the microphone.
“This crowd is crazy!” he said as he segued into “Drink You Away.”
In a commendable effort to be up-close to as many fans as possible, Timberlake’s catwalk ascended above the audience with the singer making his way to each side of the large venue. Complete with frequent stops providing fans with photo ops, he then performed songs at the back of the venue for a far-reaching experience.
With a thrust of the pelvis, he covered Elvis Presley’s “Heartbreak Hotel” and then “Human Nature” by Michael Jackson. During “SexyBack,” with a crotch grab and a declaration that “I still run this bitch!”, it was obvious he’s reached the same level of stardom as Presley and Jackson.
The closing number of the night, “Mirrors,” was met with so much force from the crowd singing along that it induced ear-ringing. The visually stunning components of the concert including a laser light show and Timberlake’s musicianship made "The 20/20 Experience" unforgettable.
Before leaving, Timberlake saluted and blew a kiss to the crowd.
“I love you,” he said.
With fans continuing to scream long after he was gone, it was obvious Phoenix loves him, too.
Timberlake tweeted after the concert: “Phoenix!!! That was by far one of the craziest nights we have had on the tour!”
Reach the reporter at jurgiles@asu.edu or follow her on Twitter @MrsMathers94
