May 31, 2016
I want to get all the hyperbole out of the way. A literal rainstorm obliterated Chicago's Soldier Field in the hour leading up to Beyonce's Formation World Tour performance. It was perfectly sunny for Rae Sremmurd's highly inadequate performance, especially coming in the shadow of an intense two song performance from Kanye-disciple Vic Mensa ("U Mad" & a missive about Chicago Police brutality "16 Shots"). Soldier Field sits right beside Lake Michigan, and what was coming from over the lake was less exciting than Beyonce's impending performance.
I was sitting in the uppermost deck, about halfway between the upper atmosphere and the concourse, between the football endzone and where the stage was set up. I'd say I was sitting at about the 35 yardline. You could hear people react as the rain poured in from the east; it was like a wave that was water, not sports-fan-jubilation. It rained harder, faster, heavier, sharper, and more cold than any rain I have in my life ever felt. It aggressively stormed for around twenty minutes; the stadium filled with literal screams, people ran down the steep stairs to find cover from the rain. It was terrifying.
It slowed, it stopped. Lightning off in the distance had us half expecting the show would be canceled. The third loudest I heard the crowd get (first: Beyonce, second: rain) was when crew members came out to begin mopping and drying off the stage. We were going to have a Formation World Tour show after all.
And boy did we. Despite dampened spirits, when the opening licks of "Formation" rocked into the stadium, the crowd went ballistic. This was after a looping video for Beyonce's athletic fashion line IVY PARK played to much fanfare, and even more so when the THX Surround Sound logo and iconic booming sound introduced itself. This draws perhaps the most perfect metaphor for Beyonce's tightly controlled creative input into the productions of her tour. I was reminded of one of the On The Run Tour's anthems, "THIS IS NOT REAL LIFE."
And yet, as she walked out to pyrotechnics somehow still working despite seeming waterlogged, the Queen stepped into Formation.
a#BeyAllDay pic.twitter.com/3aD4ztuvUT
— Tony Ravoli (@tonyisapoet) May 31, 2016
Her aggressively long setlist remained unaltered despite a continuing drizzle and late start, but Beyonce did not perform hindered in any seeming way. Stand out tracks from Lemonade felt right at home in a set list of deep cuts and fan favorites. The guitar-driven rocker "Don't Hurt Yourself" featuring an extended jam from Beyonce's leading lady guitarist melted perfectly into "Ring the Alarm." Calling back to the many faces of self titled's jam "*** Flawless," Beyonce dedicated a whole chunk in the middle of her set to playing Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's Feminist speech, than her verse from the elevator-addressing Remix, before finally letting the audience chant along about how they had woken up (spoiler: it was flawlessly, not so much after than rain though).
Not only was Beyonce working in new material with old, she was finding opportunities to at least hint at her work with Destiny's Child. More than brief samples of "Bootylicious" included extended dance numbers, and she performed "Survivor" during the powerful set piece that included "Freedom."
During that segment of the show, on a forward stage thrust into the middle of the crowd, a pool of water appeared. Dancers showcased choreography that incorporated literal splashing into their numbers. This, pared off with the hard-hitting lyrics and instrumentation brought the show to a high peak, before ending with fireworks and the classic Beyonce show stopper "Halo."
Throughout the tour, the giant monolith (that freaking rotates on a whim!) backing her main stage, has been turing purple in memory of Prince. "Purple Rain," while a bit on the nose for this particular performance, plays out during an interlude. What people are not talking about is the incredible cover of album-cut "The Beautiful Ones" Beyonce performs before that interlude. That was, for me, the biggest surprise of the show. Other highlights included "Naughty Girl," the long dance-outtro for "Daddy Issues," and the acapella "Love On Top" that fans took a verse longer than a grinning Beyonce had intended.
The interplay between fans and Beysus (as they say) was unbelievable. Somehow, a sold-out stadium show felt intimate. In the upper deck, it was as thrilling to see Beyonce strip out of an outer later, for example the red fur coat to let "Ring the Alarm" play out over an extended dance medley, and toss it to a fan on the floor. I joked with the person I was at the show with about the rain: "I wouldn't sit through this for just anybody."
We often turn Beyonce into a meme. Her fans turn her into an idol: at one point the phrase "GOD IS GOD. I AM NOT" flashed upon the larger than life screens backing her. After the two-plus hours of her Formation World Tour, it's hard to belittle her to a "YASS KWEEN" or a bee & crown emoji in a hashtag. She didn't just fill Soldier Field with her voice, she filled the whole damn city with it. There wasn't in a single person sitting near me, and those standing were all experiencing some kind of complicated and personal emotions singing along to every song she performed. Unlike the ON THE RUN Tour, Beyonce was without distraction, brief interludes kept the attention focused on her music, her artistic vision. Clips from the "Lemonade visual album" interspersed with found footage from the singer's youth backed with instrumentals of her songs punctuated the quick changes and set-changes. There was an almighty spectacle, no doubt, but that spectacle was not without substance.
As she says, "I'm a diva, best believe her." Anyone privy to this run of shows she is on could not possibly disagree.
Beyonce's wardrobe and dance numbers were exquisite. The set list was superb. "Diva" and "Party" got dusted off, along with others; the video on TIDAL exclusive track "Die With You" gave members of the Beyhive chills. Her voice was as strong as ever. This tour, her expansive show, or the rain, was not stopping Queen B. For the most part, the rain wasn't stopping her fans, either.