CONCERT REVIEW: Cher Proves She Is Still #1 At "D2K Tour"

Benjamin Esakof/Roman's Rap-Up

On Wednesday, April 9th, ‘pop goddess’ Cher brought her highly-anticipated “D2K (Dressed 2 Kill) Tour” to the TD Garden in Boston.

Cher opened the show with a new single of hers, “Women’s World,” where she stood high above the crowd on a shimmering pedestal, making the crowd go absolutely insane. 

Benjamin Esakof/Roman's Rap-Up

After the first two songs. Cher went on a seemingly long rant about how her crew only gives her Dr. Pepper. However the crowd didn’t care, and seemed to love every word that came out of her mouth.  The thing that really seemed to bother the crowd though, and rightfully so, with a round of “boo”s, the “Believe” singer's announcement that this would actually be her final “farewell” tour. In case you didn’t know, Cher has been doing these “farewell” tours since 2002, so I’m sure a good number of fans didn’t take her too seriously.

It was during songs like “Take It Like A Man” where Cher truly defied her age. Dancing around the stage in a gold armor-like dress, Cher shook her hips and danced like she was in her 20’s. Hard to believe she is almost 68!

One of the most amazing feats of the night was the plethora of costume changes, almost between every song. Cher donned her typical feather costume and diamond hair for many of the numbers. Even more impressive, the energy stayed alive during these 2-3 minute changes. Throughout each set/costume change there was always something to keep the crowd busy. Whether it was a throwback video to “Sonny and Cher” or a circus performance by the amazing dancers, the energy never faded .

Whether or not this was actually Cher’s farewell tour, it was still an unforgettable night, made even better by her extensive past. Surviving a career in the music industry for a few years is extremely difficult and tiring, so the fact that 25 albums and 50 years later Cher is still killing it, is something to be admired by all.

Check out more photos from the show below:

CONCERT REVIEW: Justin Timberlake Delivers Electrifying Performance in Boston

Credit: Benjamin Esakof/Roman's Rap-Up

An arena full of over 13,000 screaming fans, all for one man.

That was the scene Thursday night when Justin Timberlake brought his sold-out "20/20 Experience World Tour" to the TD Garden in Boston. When he took the stage around 8:30, you could feel his presence from anywhere in the arena. In fact, after “Pusher Love Girl”, the singer just stood in the middle of the massive stage while everyone cheered for him. Once he introduced his huge hit “TKO” a few songs in, everyone went even more berserk for the Tennessee star.

Credit: Benjamin Esakof/Roman's Rap-Up

Every concert has spectacular singing and dancing (including this one), but the thing that really separated the “20/20 Experience” tour was the connection Justin Timberlake had with his fans. When singing songs like “Cry Me A River”, “Mirrors” (more on that later), and other slow ballads, Timberlake actively invited singing from the audience, and often stopped to soak up the energy.

“Resiliency, not just in America, but this town, it really moved me.... I love you guys.”

— Justin Timberlake

Halfway through the show, the former N-Sync star’s stage rose up, and travelled to the back of the arena while he sang “Let The Groove Get In”. From there, he was able to see the “real Boston”, and to give all of the fans that might not have had such a great view of him when he was upfront a chance to see him up close. There, he commented on last year’s Marathon Bombing, saying “Resiliency, not just America, but this town, it really moved me.... I love you guys”. The Boston crowd went even more insane, but more importantly, it showed how much JT cared. I’ve attended numerous Boston events since last April, and Justin is the only one to touch upon it. In fact, the singer even made a toast to Boston Strong.

Timberlake continued the nearly 3-hour set singing hits like "Take Back The Night", "Suit and Tie", and the old classic "Sexyback". But perhaps my favorite moment of the night was when he sang his 2013 hit ‘Mirrors’ at the end of the show. The energy in the room was simply amazing-he had every fan singing along with him.

Justin Timberlake’s "20/20 Experience World Tour" is a show like no other. A moving stage, incredible effects, and extraordinary vocals make for a memorable night. No review can do the connection Justin has to his fans justice, it just has to be experienced. It truly was a ’20/20 Experience’.

Didn’t get to see the "20/20 Experience World Tour" this time around? He’s coming back! Catch him at the TD Garden this summer on July 19th.

See more photos from the night below:

Katy Perry Announces North American Tour Dates

Katy Perry released the North American tour dates today for "The Prismatic World Tour". The tour will include stops in 46 cities across the United States and Canada. Here's what Katy said in the official press release:

THE PRISMATIC WORLD TOUR is coming to light up some of my favorite North American cities this summer, as well as some new cities that you introduced me to through your video requests," said Katy. "This colorful show will bring you all the songs you know as well as ones from my new album, PRISM. I'm so excited that I got to hand-select some of my favorite artists to join me on this journey - I know you'll love Capital Cities, Kacey Musgraves and Tegan and Sara as much as I do.

Check the tour dates below to see if she is coming to a city near you:

6/22/14 – Raleigh, NC – PNC Arena *
6/24/14 – Washington, DC – Verizon Center *
6/27/14 – Nashville, TN – Bridgestone Arena *
6/28/14 – Atlanta, GA – Philips Arena *
6/30/14 – Tampa, FL – Tampa Bay Times Forum *
7/2/14 – Sunrise, FL – BB&T Center *
7/3/14 – Miami, FL – American Airlines Arena *
7/9/14 – New York, NY – Madison Square Garden *
7/11/14 – Newark, NJ – Prudential Center *
7/15/14 – Montreal, QC – Bell Centre *
7/16/14 – Ottawa, ON – Canadian Tire Centre *
7/18/14 – Toronto, ON – Air Canada Centre *
7/22/14 – Pittsburgh, PA – CONSOL Energy Center *
7/24/14 – Brooklyn, NY – Barclays Center *
8/1/14 – Boston, MA – TD Garden *
8/4/14 – Philadelphia, PA – Wells Fargo Center *
8/7/14 – Chicago, IL – United Center *
8/10/14 – Grand Rapids, MI – Van Andel Arena ^
8/11/14 – Auburn Hills, MI – The Palace of Auburn Hills ^
8/13/14 – Columbus, OH – Nationwide Arena ^
8/14/14 – Cleveland, OH – Quicken Loans Arena ^
8/16/14 – Louisville, KY – KFC Yum! Center ^
8/17/14 – St. Louis, MO – Scottrade Center ^
8/19/14 – Kansas City, MO – Sprint Center ^
8/20/14 – Lincoln, NE – Pinnacle Bank Arena ^
8/22/14 – Minneapolis, MN – Target Center ^
8/23/14 – Fargo, ND – FARGODOME ^
8/26/14 – Winnipeg, MB – MTS Centre ^
8/28/14 – Saskatoon, SK – Credit Union Centre ^
8/29/14 – Calgary, AB – Scotiabank Saddledome ^
8/31/14 – Edmonton, AB – Rexall Place ^
9/9/14 – Vancouver, BC – Pepsi Live at Rogers Arena #
9/12/14 – Portland, OR – Moda Center #
9/13/14 – Tacoma, WA – Tacoma Dome #
9/16/14 – Anaheim, CA – Honda Center #
9/19/14 – Los Angeles, CA – STAPLES Center #
9/22/14 – San Jose, CA – SAP Center #
9/25/14 – Glendale, AZ – Jobing.com Arena #
9/26/14 – Las Vegas, NV – MGM Grand Garden Arena #
9/29/14 – Salt Lake City, UT – EnergySolutions Arena #
9/30/14 – Denver, CO – Pepsi Center #
10/2/14 – Dallas, TX – American Airlines Center #
10/5/14 – Memphis, TN – FedExForum #
10/6/14 – Tulsa, OK – BOK Center #
10/8/14 – New Orleans, LA – New Orleans Arena #
10/10/14 – Houston, TX – Toyota Center ~

*With Capital Cities
^ With Kasey Musgraves
# With Tegan and Sara
~ TBD

CONCERT REVIEW: Beyonce Shows Us Why She is the Queen at "Mrs. Carter Show" in Boston

Seven days after surprising the world and releasing a record breaking album out of nowhere, superstar Beyoncé brought her “Mrs. Carter Show World Tour” back to the TD Garden in Boston for the second leg of the tour- and fans did not turn down for this one. The show was completely sold out, with the “Beyhive” in full attendance. Beyoncé was a little late in taking the stage, but the crowd could not have cared less. As it turns out, Mrs. Carter was actually at a Walmart outside of Boston in Tewskbury and gave all 750 shoppers in the store a 50 dollar gift card (total of $37,500)! Never have I heard of an artist being late because he or she was out doing good - bravo to you, Queen Bey.

The lights shut off, and everyone went absolutely insane. Beyoncé rose from under the stage (wearing her typical sparkly-getup) to deafening alarm sounds and pyrotechnics. Bow Down Bitches.

Beyonce performs onstage on her Mrs. Carter World Tour, on Friday, December 20, 2013 at the TD Garden in Boston, Mass. (Photo by Robin Harper/Invision for Parkwood Entertainment/AP)

Along with songs from her previous album “4”, Mrs. Carter performed some of her classic hits like “Naughty Girl”, “Crazy in Love” and more. But one of the biggest highlights from the night was when the opening rifts from “Irreplaceable” came on and Bey grabbed onto a harness and flew across the crowd wearing a dazzling-blue jumpsuit. That’s right. Beyoncé flew over the jam-packed GA floor to the “Bey Stage”, where she greeted the thousands who may not have had such a great view of her from the main stage (and the big-tag VIP purchasers “in” the stage). This was where she showed how much love she had for her fans. At one point, she put her microphone down, sat down on the edge of the stage and hugged a little girl (who started to cry). This appreciation wasn’t just for the VIP fans either. The “Single Ladies” singer walked around the “Beystage” and touched as many hands as she could, saying “Thanks”. I find it great that Beyoncé recognizes the fact that it’s because of the “Beyhive” that she is so famous today. There are many artists in the industry who forget this, so it’s refreshing to see the love pouring out from her into the crowd. Bey showed her love even more by going all out on “Love on Top” and finishing her “Beystage” act with the throwback “Survivor” before flying back over to the main stage.

Beyonce performs onstage on her Mrs. Carter World Tour, on Friday, December 20, 2013 at the TD Garden in Boston, Mass. (Photo by Robin Harper/Invision for Parkwood Entertainment/AP)

Perhaps, though, the most special part of the night was the last song. Although she did perform “XO” off of her newest album “BEYONCÉ” (which was a highlight), “Halo” took the gold. This was the simplest performance of the night, which was what made it so special. Mrs. Carter walked around the stage thanking everybody, even waving up to the people in the balcony sections. She made her way to both front VIP pits, and once again showed her love for the fans. Bey kept thanking everyone for coming, which truly showed how grateful she was for the opportunity to entertain the city of Boston. No dancing, no fire, no visuals on the screen, just Beyoncé Knowles-Carter and her fans.

Beyonce performs onstage on her Mrs. Carter World Tour, on Friday, December 20, 2013 at the TD Garden in Boston, Mass. (Photo by Robin Harper/Invision for Parkwood Entertainment/AP)

Reflecting on the “Mrs. Carter Show”, I definitely can say that it was one of the best concerts I’ve seen. This was truly a work of art, not just with the music and vocals, but also the dancing, the stage, the lights, and the confetti raining down during “Single Ladies”. Everything just worked together to create a natural-feeling set, a feeling I haven’t gotten many times at concerts in the past. The only thing I would have liked to see more of were performances off of her new album. However, that’s to be expected as it dropped mid-tour, and wouldn’t have been realistic as it would’ve required new choreography, etc.

I highly recommend seeing Beyoncé the next time she comes to a city near you. For tour dates and more info on the “Mrs. Carter Show World Tour”, visit Beyoncé’s official website.

Special thanks to Parkwood Entertainment.

Surprise! Lady Gaga Announces "artRave: The ARTPOP Ball"

Lady Gaga surprised her "little monsters" this morning with an announcement of a new tour! The "Applause" singer was forced to cancel much of her last tour due to a hip injury. Find the official Live Nation press release, including tour dates, below:

NEW YORK, Dec. 3, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- One of the top global touring acts of our time, having sold nearly 4 million tickets during her first three tours, Lady Gaga is hitting the road in support of her new album ARTPOP.

Live Nation Global Touring announced today that Lady Gaga's artRave: The ARTPOP Ball will begin May 4 in Ft. Lauderdale. The tour will include several cities that have not hosted Lady Gaga before as well as cities that missed her tour earlier this year following a hip injury, which forced her to cancel. The announcement of artRave: The ARTPOP Ball tour follows the immediate sell-out of a historic residency at NYC's Roseland Ballroom from March 28 - April 7, 2014. Lady Gaga will perform the final seven shows at the venue before it closes down forever, and simultaneously set the record for the most consecutive shows by any artist at the Roseland. Tickets for artRave: The ARTPOP Ball will go on sale beginning Monday, Dec. 9, 2013.

Littlemonsters.com members will have first access to tickets. Members who RSVP to the event listings for the shows they wish to attend within LittleMonsters.com will be provided a unique code and may order online while quantities last. For all shows going on sale on December 9(th) , members will be able to purchase tickets starting Tuesday, December 3(rd) at 2:00 p.m. through Thursday, December 5(th) . For the shows going on sale December 16(th) members will be able to purchase tickets starting Tuesday, December 10th through Thursday, December 10th. There will be a ticket limit of four (4) per member.

Citi is the official credit card of the Lady Gaga's artRave: The ARTPOP Ball tour. Citi cardmembers will have access to presale tickets beginning Wednesday, Dec. 4 at 10:00 a.m. through Citi's Private Pass Program. For complete presale details, visit: www.citiprivatepass.com.

Tickets for artRave: The ARTPOP Ball will go on sale starting Monday, Dec. 9 at 10:00 a.m. General Admission floor tickets are $85.00. Reserved seating also available for $35.00, $49.50, $85.00 and $200.00 (plus applicable service fees). Tickets on sale at www.livenation.com.

artRave: The ARTPOP Ball is produced by Live Nation Global Touring.

                       Lady Gaga artRave: The ARTPOP Ball 

May 4      Ft. Lauderdale, FL       BB&T Center             On sale Dec. 16 

May 6      Atlanta, GA              Philips Arena           On sale Dec. 16 

May 8      Pittsburgh, PA           Consol Energy Center    On sale Dec. 16 

May 10     Uncasville, CT           Mohegan Sun             On sale Dec. 16 

May 12     Philadelphia, PA         Wells Fargo Center      On sale Dec. 9 

May 13     New York, NY             Madison Square Garden   On sale Dec. 16 

May 15     Washington, DC           Verizon Center          On sale Dec. 9 

May 18     Cleveland, OH            Quicken Loans Arena     On sale Dec. 16 

May 20     St. Paul, MN             Xcel Entergy Center     On sale Dec. 16 

May 22     Winnipeg, MB             MTS Centre              On sale Dec. 9 

May 25     Calgary, AB              Scotiabank Saddledome   On sale Dec. 9 

May 26     Edmonton, AB             Rexall Place            On sale Dec. 9 

May 28     Seattle, WA              Key Arena               On sale Dec. 16 

May 30     Vancouver, BC            Rogers Arena            On sale Dec. 9 

June 2     San Diego, CA            Viejas Arena            On sale Dec. 16 

June 3     San Jose, CA             SAP Center at San Jose  On sale Dec. 9 

June 30    Boston, MA               TD Garden               On sale Dec. 16 

July 2     Montreal, QC             Bell Centre             On sale Dec. 9 

July 9     Toronto, ON              Air Canada Centre       On sale Dec. 9 

July 11    Chicago, IL              United Center           On sale Dec. 9 

July 14    San Antonio, TX          AT&T Center             On sale Dec. 16 

July 16    Houston, TX              Toyota Center           On sale Dec. 16 

July 17    Dallas, TX               American Airlines       On sale Dec. 16 

                                                   Center 

July 19    Las Vegas, NV            MGM Grand Garden Arena  On sale Dec. 9 

July 21    Los Angeles, CA          Staples Center          On sale Dec. 9 

                         Itinerary subject to change. 

For complete tour and ticket information, visit: www.ladygaga.com & 

www.livenation.com