I’m not sure when it happened, but there was a distinct moment when Beyonce transitioned from lead singer to pop goddess. She traded in her sparkly House of Dereon jeans for a Wonder Woman inspired leotard and fiercely proclaimed that she was the Queen Bey—crown and all.
While I’m no member of the beyhive, I have been a casual observer of the star’s rise to the pinnacle of pop-stardom, and personally I have taken note of her effortless appeal to basically everyone that listens to music. Even the snobbiest of hipsters lose their shit when they hear the house remix of one of her hit songs at a dive dance party. And personally, I spend hours watching her Youtube videos, excruciatingly analyzing every detail.
She married the reigning King of Hip Hop, Jay-Z, and gave birth to an adorable baby Blue Ivy, all while winning the hearts and minds of a devoted mainstream audience. So when I found out she was coming to the Superdome in New Orleans for the On the Run Tour, to say the least, I was elated.
Then I saw the ticket price, and resigned myself to living vicariously through friend’s Instagram pictures from the show.
Two days before the show by some odd twist of fate, while trolling Instagram, I saw a subtle ad from Exodus Goods, the quaint boutique in the French Quarter launched by Darlene and Lizzy Okpo of William Okpo, along with Armina Mussa.. With every purchase of $30, the shopper would receive a free ticket to On The Run.
Yes, they were nosebleed seats and Beyonce and Jay Z were tiny specs in the far, far distance, but for two solid hours I was amongst royalty.
I watched on giant tv screens one of the best live performances of my life. There were fireworks, thongs, dancing, explosions, and a dizzying array of Bonnie and Clyde themed videos and special effects.
We listened to the plethora of hit songs between the two artists and danced to the rearranged tunes that perfectly blended individual artists into a seamless experience. I was surprised to realize that while I’m not a die-hard Jay-Z fan, he has all of the hits, dropping favorites from The Blueprint 3 and my favorite track for pre-gaming, “Tom Ford.” Meanwhile Beyonce dazzled in an array of pantsless costumes, oozing her personal blend of confidence, vocal runs and booty shaking. I fell in love with the track “Haunted” and am still blown away by seeing “Why Don’t You Love Me” performed in the classic 60s call and response style.
It was highly produced and literally was executed perfectly—ending with a slightly cheesy rendition of “Forever Young” paired with a video all but promoting the royal family to the Holy Trinity.
While reviewing my drunken tweets from the night, I thought it would be funny to illustrate the experience that no picture could truly encapsulate.
9:52pm
The opening was epic! #beyoncenola
9:52pm
Beyonce looks like a member of Le freak #beyoncenola
9:53pm
Obviously we only tweet when jay z is performing #OnTheRun
9:59pm
Beyonce in a thong bouncing to an Aladdin remix of naughty girl #OnTheRun
Pure Genie-Us!
10:06pm
I want beyonce sound effects for my every day life #OnTheRun
In reference to a Janet jackson inspired breakdown.
10:07pm
Jay z looks like a cowboy. #OnTheRun
I actually was trying to say “Buffalo Soldier,” but in the moment my mind went blank.
10:14pm
Hearing “Baby Boy,” a thousand Rihanna’s wept. #OnTheRun
10:24pm
It’s like they took all of Kanye’s concepts and made them mainstream. #ontherun #morefire
10:40pm
This show is really about beyonce’s ass. #justsaying #OnTheRun
After seeing “Drunk in Love”
10:54pm
There’s something magical about a chorus of thousands of women singing “Partition” #OnTheRun
11:05pm
Shout out to beyonce featuring my favorite Lauryn Hill track. Help her pay down that tax debt #OnTheRun
11:21pm
Love on top ends like an old school church song #OnTheRun
…and then my phone died.