Beyoncé & JAY Z | Rose Bowl | Pasadena, CA
Not only did 2018 bring us the much-anticipated joint album from power couple Beyoncé & JAY Z, EVERYTHING IS LOVE, but they also announced follow up to their 2014 On the Run Tour. Due to unforeseen circumstances at that show, I was unable to watch it in its entirety. So I made a promise that if they were to ever announce another joint tour again that I would not be allowed to miss it for any reason. This year was the year.
Walking into the Rose Bowl that night was electrifying. The beaming jumbo monitors on the stage with the letters "OTR" stuck on them hinted that it would be a big night. The lights dimmed and then magic happened. The opening notes of "Holy Grail" began and the crowd went absolutely insane.
To say that this concert is one of the best in the past five years is an understatement. It wasn't just a show, but it felt like you were at the biggest party ever thrown. You don't realize how many hits these two have until you look back at the set list and see that it's 46 track deep. Yes, FORTY-SIX. Not only was it one of the longest sets I've ever witnessed, but I knew every single song and was singing everything at the top of my lungs.
The production was also a spectacle. On top of having larger-than-life monitors that moved and shifted, but there was a great message about family felt throughout the night with plenty of home videos for us to watch during intermissions. The two runways bridged by a floating stage that would go back and forth was also a brilliant decision and both the singer and the rapper knew how to work their respective sides. One of the more memorable aspects of the night was when the monitors opened up to reveal three levels of musicians and dancers. If you're a fan of theirs or not, you couldn't not be impressed by everything that was going on.
It was really cool when they each had their own stage time to show off their respective skills and presence, but they were at their best when they were together. The Formation World Tour and 4:44 Tour were both great as well, and OTR II felt like the perfect mashup of those two shows and then some. It was amazing to see how much fire they still had in them when they closed out the night with "APESHIT". A song I thought they'd open with, but it made more sense to say farewell on the highest of notes. ★★★★★
★★★★★ Legendary | ★★★★ Great | ★★★ Good | ★★ Fair | ★ Poor