The moment that the entire weekend was leading up to got underway about 30 minutes late, around 11 PM. An outsider would not assume anyone cared though, by the level of energy and screaming applause that erupted when Beyoncé finally made her grand appearance on her portable stage at the 19th Annual ESSENCE Music Festival in New Orleans at the Mercedez-Benz Superdome on Sunday.
Opening the show with now anthems, “Run The World (Girls)” and “End of Time,” the energy in the arena did seem to deviate from the norm that Beyoncé has been used to from her European fans and younger audiences at most of her recent “Mrs. Carter Show World Tour” dates. However, Bey still gave the show 110%, racing through more than a dozen costume changes, smacking every note upside the head and nailing every last booty drop in the process. The slightly abbreviated set was virtually identical to the others she’s played on the tour thus far, cutting out only “Schoolin’ Life” and her only Destiny’s Child moment, “Survivor.”
And though much has been made on the lack of new material Beyoncé has been trotting out on this tour, which was presumed to set up her upcoming fifth album, it’s easy to forget that she also never toured behind 2011’s “4.” So impassioned album cuts like “I Care” and the Frank Ocean-penned “I Miss You” got their due where they would have otherwise been shelved.
Still, by the time she closed the mainset with expected single “Grown Woman,” clad in a chartreuse animal print and writhing in front of lush African scenery, it was clear that the next chapter of her musical career would be emphatically received. The audience already knew all the words, and even some of the dance moves from leaked footage on other dates, a sign that Beyoncé may have to start prepping another tour a lot sooner.
While, press were not allowed to snap shots of Bey from the photo pit, we were able to get a couple from the main floor. Take a look at more photos below:
Additional shots from Bey’s team…
Shout to Billboard for additional recap.
