Beyoncé For All Mankind
On the relentless spectacle of the singer’s Renaissance Tour
VANCOUVER — Twenty-seven years into her decorated and undeniably illustrious career, Beyoncé Knowles still performs like it’s the first of the month and rent is due. She could be on a luxury yacht in the waters off St. Barts, setting fire to 100 dollar bills and using the flames to light expensive Cuban cigars. But no, like a true pro, she fuels up the Bombardier Challenger and sets a flight path for the Pacific Northwest. To put on a show.
She approaches her performance with nothing short of Virgo perfectionism. For two and a half hours she sings and dances and serves (cunt, that is) against a dieselpunk backdrop that is as much Club Renaissance as it is Dune’s Arrakis. The whole thing is one relentless spectacle, an exercise in military-grade precision, a clinic in musical prowess. From our lower bowl seats near the back of the stadium, the 42-year-old looks like a radiant speck set against her own Jumbotron reflection. There are flashes of the all-time greats. Of Prince and Aretha and Tina, who she mentions by name, but also Janet circa Rhythm Nation and Kanye circa Yeezus (that tour, like this one, deployed a multi-act structure). She moves effortlessly from pop to dance to gospel and even hints of opera.
Old classics reimagined. A renaissance for a new generation.
Still, even she can’t control everything. On-stage mishaps have made headlines since the tour started. Troubleshoot tests of the entire audio system, malfunctions both equine and wardrobe in nature. One night a crew member forgot to turn her fan on. None of that happens tonight, but the pacing falters at points. She begins the night singing four ballads back-to-back. She also leaves the stage multiple times for extended costume changes (God forbid she takes a break).
The hive hardly notices, though. They scream when she plays “Break My Soul” and again when she brings out her daughter, Blue Ivy Carter. They drape themselves in the “most fabulous silver fashions” Shein has to offer. They reflect their fantasies onto her, and she glows brighter and brighter until her final bow — given from the saddle of a gigantic, silver steed.
It ain’t much but it’s honest work.
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