The 20/20 Experience (AM)

Here's what happened: all last week I was looking forward to seeing Justin Timberlake. It's not like I was super pumped or thinking about it constantly, it was just something I was looking forward to when I'd think about it. I mean, It's not a secret I kind of love Justin Timberlake. I know it, you know it, we all know it. And I was thinking it'd  also be great because it would give me some great content for today's post.

It was a weird scenario, I thought no one would want to go with me so I didn't bother asking around. But because I wanted to go and decided to go alone I bought the most expensive tickets. Which was great, because I was just metres from the stage, which is a pretty great way to see things, especially superstars. But although I clearly know how to see a superstar, Etihad Stadium do not. The house lights were up until a minute before JT came out which did not build anticipation at all and when he emerged from beneath the stage I felt pleased but not awed. He played 2 songs from The 20/20 Experience which was pretty good but slightly underwhelming and I wondered if it is was all worth it. But then... 

I expect some of you are not as intimate with JT's back catalogue as others so I will say the song Rock Your Body is a totally cheesy track from early in his solo career and when he played that and danced in unison with his back up dancers THAT is when magic happened. It was a total boy band moment and I effig loved it.  The whole show was like that first ten minute, mildly entertaining bits with some great bits thrown in. 

But that boy can dance and if there is one thing I love it is watching people dance. Preferably with back up dancers. Ideally while I can dance too. And it was three for three on that count. And I do love JT. 

The drag of it was there was absolutely no sense of spontaneity. My guess was that not a single word spoken on stage had not been spoken the night before. Some of the ballads were a drag too. Although I loved that a white grand piano emerged for him to sit at. I loved that he played Heartbreak Hotel but when he played Human Nature by Michael Jackson and sounded like the GooGoo Dolls I wondered why the eff he didn't play any single other MJ song. Like, one of the awesome ones?

Also there was an intermission, and although I appreciate that a guy needs a little rest or pick me up or whatever happens out there in those ten minutes I also think there's a way to accommodate that without bringing up those effing house lights again and totally killing the vibe. 

Having said that though it was pretty spectacular when the entire front of the stage came off, rose above the audience and travelled out to the back of the stadium with JT and singers and dancers so they could perform right in front of the seats at the back.

So you see what I'm saying guys? Awesome, meh, awesome, meh, that was the JT show. I like his old stuff better than his new stuff and it worked better in his show too. Everybody thinks so.