After over a year of virtually non-stop touring, Justin Timberlake still looked fresh as ever the other night at Gwinnett Arena in Duluth, GA. After starting out his musical comeback with many TV appearances and small gigs to get back into the swing of things, Timberlake embarked on the gigantic “Legends of the Summer” Tour last summer with Hip/Hop super-star and fellow entrepreneur, Jay-Z. After putting out a double album last year, Timberlake embarked on the current 20/20 Experience World Tour in November.
Timberlake clearly is inspired by many icons, such as Michael Jackson and Elvis Presley, as can be heard through his work and in the covers of “Heartbreak Hotel” and “Human Nature” in the set list. It’s obvious though that Timberlake is inspired by many different facets of music as his set jumps from bubblegum pop, gospel, hip/hop, funk, etc. If you’re going to pick two main icons though, Presley and Jackson are pretty good ones to choose.
Timberlake’s 20/20 Experience is unlike any show i’ve ever seen. His band, The Tennessee Kids, is one of the best bands in pop music today. The band is made up of at least 15 pieces along with his backup singers and dancers. During a great cover of Bell Biv Devoe’s “Poison”, two of the backup singers came out and joined Timberlake for the song, even singing the lead vocals on some verses.
JT wasn’t the only shinning star at this concert, though. The technical aspects of the concert were beyond impressive, using a hexigonal backdrop to using projection mapping on it throughout the show, with different projections for different songs. Hidden behind the hexagons were 360 degree, LED color changing lights and plenty of lasers as well. And of course i’d be remiss if I didn’t mention his hydraulic, movable platform.
Even with all the bells and whistles JT attached to his 20/20 Experience, like a true showman, he never let those things outshine him. Timberlake showed how he’s gotten himself to this point, by dancing through hits “Like I Love You”, “My Love” and “Rock Your Body”, rocking out on songs like “Only When I Walk Away” and “Cry Me A River”, crooning on “Not A Bad Thing” and “Until the End of Time”, showing a bit of Latin-Pop with “Senorita” and “Let The Groove Get In” and even going a bit country on “Drink You Away”.
Timberlake himself is unlike any other touring artist you will see. He doesn’t just go out and sing, he makes it actually feel personal. He makes the atmosphere feel like a part, he’s the host and we’re all his guests. He even took a shot of tequila when he went back to the VIP section. It’s a very welcoming and fun atmosphere.
The 20/20 Experience takes you on a trip through music of all genres. While Timberlake generally tries (and succeeds) at keeping a Hip/Hop feel going through the concert, you get a sense of why he’s become so popular as the show goes on. Not only is he an incredible entertainer, performer and singer, but his music can connect with everyone is some way or another as it’s so varied in style.
So for a performer that has been on the road for almost 2 years now, Timberlake showed now signs of rust and looked sharp as ever. The show was a spectacle to witness and the set list was very well (and carefully) put together. The 20/20 Experience may be coming to the end of it’s cycle, but Justin Timberlake still looks to have many good years ahead of him and I look forward to seeing what he has up his sleeve on future tours.
The Music Revue 