Trey Songz
Derrick Dunn

Derrick Dunn

Wayback Wednesday Concert Review: Trey Songz, Warner Theater

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+

Movie Clappers

More reviews to explorer

Second Listen Sunday: Night And Day

I have previously mentioned the perks of growing up in the nineties, particularly discovering a great R&B gem on a movie soundtrack. Often, artists would release a track on a soundtrack, building anticipation for an album that might not even be released. This week’s Second Listen Sunday featured artist Night & Day falls into the former group.

Slow Jam Saturday: 702, Get It Together

For this week’s Slow Jam Saturday, I wanted to give some flowers to R&B trio 702 and their ballad “Get It Together.” In the spring of 1995, I was introduced to the group as they joined label mates Subway for the “This Lil Game We Play” ballad. The group gained popularity a year later with their single, “Steelo.” However, it was their second single, “Get It Together,” that I was eagerly looking forward to hearing live when I saw them open up for New Edition on the 1997 Home Again tour.

Single Review: Musiq Soulchild – Just Friends (Sunny) (DJ Soulchild Remix)

DJ Soulchild, a talented Remix Phenom from Switzerland delivers another remix for 2024 perfect for the dance floor. He added his unique style to Musiq Soulchild’s debut single, “Just Friends,” which was initially released in 2000 as the third single from the “Nutty Professor II: The Klumps (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack).” DJ Soulchild has returned to the City of Brotherly Love to bless his fans with this fantastic new track.

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn

© Copyright Reviews & Dunn. All rights reserved

website designed by Red Robin Digital designers