Jennifer Lopez turns fifty in just a few days. That’s pretty hard to believe, especially after seeing the superstar sing and dance in person during her It’s My Party Tour. When the tour was announced, I knew I had to buy tickets.
I did so knowing my seats would be good, but I didn’t know they would be quite as good as they were. I mean Mom and I made eye contact with JLo a couple times! But I’m getting ahead of myself.
After celebrating America’s birthday, Mom and I headed to Little Caesars Arena to celebrate JLo’s on July 5th, a hot, steamy summer day perfect for seeing a show.
The opening act was some of the top performers from World of Dance, all of whom were worked into JLo’s portion of the show which impressed me and really did add to the show. I’m a fan of the TV show so to see the dancers in person was a real treat. A super talented DJ was also part of the show from start to finish. His skill with mixing beats and songs had me totally rapt.
But everyone, including me, was there to see Jenny from the Block, live and in person. She is gorgeous. Her body is fierce and strong. Her hair blows in the breeze of the fan. She has this megawatt smile. She dances all around that stage in heels much of the time like she is in her twenties. In fact a lot of performers in their twenties can only dream to move like JLo.
Don’t get it wrong, though, she can sing too. Her voice was strong, clear, confident. Some of her songs are pretty vocally challenging, others she made more so by adding a run here or there. And to do this while dancing is pretty fantastic.
She has a catalogue of songs to work through and included many of them. From My Love Don’t Cost a Thing and Get Right to I’m Real and Ain’t It Funny (wouldn’t it have been something if Ja Rule was on tour with her???) to Waiting for Tonight and On the Floor, you probably know way more JLo songs than you thought.
There was plenty of confetti, giant balloons (dear performers, I really would prefer not to revisit playing dodgeball as a kid), fireworks, and enough crystals to make sure she was seen in the very last row. It was a feast for the eyes.
Maybe a little too much in spots. The show suffered a little from a ton of costume changes (kind of like Lady Gaga’s Joanne tour), but it suffered much more from JLo selling her body instead of her talent. She turned If You Had My Love into a lap dance for a random audience member, followed by a striptease on a sofa. She bared as much of her body as possible without revealing parts inappropriate to show, though some of the concert straddled the line.
I do understand JLo is sexy, but the parts of the show when she showcased her sick dance moves, mega-hit songs, and still powerful voice were the ones that had me dancing and singing along, cheering her on. I wanted more of that. More songs. More unbelievable dancing. More chatting with the audience. I wanted more of the real JLo, more of Jenny from the Block, the one standing up there relishing in the cheers of the crowd knowing how hard she has worked and continues to do so.
I’m still glad I went. Glad I saw my friends at LCA. Glad I made those memories with Mom and even went to a nightclub after. Glad I saw JLo. She has been one of my favorite singers for a long time, a couple decades. So no regrets.
Concerts have become like dessert. I’m pickier and picker. The more you experience, the more you compare. For me, this wasn’t my favorite show, but for someone else that might not be the case. If you are a JLo fan, go and make the decision for yourself. For now, I’m going to jam to some JLo while I revise some writing.
Agree with your assessment of the show!! Glad that you enjoyed most of it! You are a concert aficionado!!.