On Sunday, May 14th, 2017, Trey Songz brought his music anticipated “Tremaine tour to the Warner Theater in Washington, D.C. In support of his seventh album, “Tremaine.” With a predominantly female audience in tow, Songz born Tremaine Neverson effortlessly showed through a two hour set why he’s still one of the most recognizable voices in modern R&B.
The night opened with a DJ playing various songs from Trey’s seven albums & seven mix-tape catalog. It was quite the treat to hear the audience singing word for word the lyrics to “More Than That,” which appears on Trey’s 2011 mix-tape “Anticipation.” As concert hosts, Dani Starr & DJ Quicksilver of WPGC asked, “Ladies, has anyone seen Trey’s workout video on Instagram? The women in the audience replied with loud applause.
Before Songz took the stage, Richmond VA native and newly signed Songbook artist (Songz’s record label) MIKEXANGEL graced the stage as the opening act. Initially, my wife and I weren’t too impressed with MIKEXANGEL, as his stage presence was lacking, due to his pitchy vocals. However, as his performance went on, Angel seemed more comfortable and showcased a natural tenor on the song “Anxious.”
The singer appears to be vocally stronger and more comfortable with slow songs as opposed to the up-tempo material. Hopefully, Songz and longtime collaborator Troy Taylor market Angel with more of a lover boy type angle, otherwise he could become lost in the currently overpopulated field of young R&B singers.
At 8:15, Songz took the stage to much excitement from his adoring female fans whom he refers to as “Trey’s Angels.” I fully expected Trey to open his show with something from the “Tremaine” album. To my surprise, Trey opened up with one of my personal favorites, “Gotta Go,” from his 2005 debut “I Gotta Make It.”
What followed was a musical euphoria for Songz fans as he highlighted fan favorites from every album released before “Tremaine.” Highlights included the ballads “Can’t Help but Wait,” “I Need a Girl,” and “Last Time.” Like many R&B singers before him, Songz has become known for his sexy slow jams. A Songz show wouldn’t be complete without Trey singing about sex. While Songz crooned his classics “Love Faces,” “Neighbors Know My Name,” “Jupiter Love” and “Dive In,” the ladies in the audience all felt like they were Trey’s #1 Fan.
After a short intermission, Trey returned to focus on material from his new album. Highlights included “Playboy, “The Sheets Still,” and the MikeXAngel assisted “Games We Play.” As the night began to wind down, Trey turned the venue into an intimate nightclub, by inviting any lady who had a birthday on stage to have a drink. Once Trey reached the final two songs of his performance, a one-two punch of “Say Ahh” and the Nicki “Bottoms Up” the theater had turned into an all-out party
I’ve been a fan of Trey since his 2004 mixtape debut “Young & Heartless Part 1”. Three years later, in 2007, I had the chance to see Trey live for the first time when he opened up for J. Holiday at Rams Heads in Baltimore, MD. Ten years later, Songz now headlines or co-headlines his own tours. Trey continues to maintain his position as one of his generation’s best performers with his natural charisma and loyal female audience.
Final Grade B+
For this week’s Second Listen Sunday, I took a trip back to 2007 and revisited “Don’t Talk Just Listen” from the group B5. Hailing from the Peach State, B5 comprised the Breeding Brothers, Bryan, Carnell, Dustin, Kelly, and Patrick. Initially finding success two years earlier with their cover of The Jackson 5’s “All I Do,” their debut did just enough with their preteen fans to warrant a second album.
With the exception of a few cases, R&B groups experienced a period of stagnation in 2007. While some groups continued to tour and perform their renowned classics, releasing new music was infrequent. To commemorate this week’s Slow Jam Saturday, I would like to acknowledge a notable piece from Jagged Edge’s sixth album, “Baby Makin Project,” titled “Whole Town’s Laughing At Me.”
For this week’s Second Listen Sunday, we are taking a trip to the Great Lake State and showing some love to R&B Band Ready for The World and their self-titled debut album. Arriving in stores on May 14, 1985, via MCA Records, the album on which the band produced their first single was “Tonight.”
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