Exclusive Coverage: OTR II Tour Lands in Philly

Mondays will never be the same. Beyonce and Jay-Z rocked the Lincoln Financial Stadium last night in Philadelphia, PA. Bare witness to greatness, folks.

Finally, the Beyhive and HOV Nation rockout in Philly again! The dynamic married duo kicked off their US part of the OTR II Tour last week in the DMV area with two shows. Some would say that's sort of a deja vu. As a delighted spectator and longtime fan of both Mr. and Mrs. Carter among the many casual concert goers, my anticipation was nothing short of anxiety and thrill. I was proudly commissioned to explore all concert phenomenon, from the color fashion trends to the stage set/set list and guest appearances of the night. What better night to experience my first exclusive concert coverage than with King and Queen themselves? Scroll for the full experience.

The Music

Sorry not sorry, but Beyonce might just be the greatest entertainer to ever live. I'm not even sure she's entirely human. her stamina, poise and precision of key is unmatched by ANY performer I've ever heard. (Okay, I got that out). The amount of music the couple produced together and separately could make your concert experience last an entire weekend. Luckily, the production beautifully orchestrated and blended both artists' songs to a concise 2.5 hours of music. The crowd almost flipped when Bey and Jay first emerged on stage, decked out in their pearly white ensemble, holding hands singing Jay-Z's hit "Holy Grail." Queen Bey, of course murdered the stage with her nostalgic hits like "Upgrade U", "Drunk in Love", "Countdown" and many many others. Her dance moves are also as mesmerizing as her vocal cords. I surprisingly caught myself dancing as an impromptu amateur backup dancer. Hov had the entire stadium bouncing to some of his classics like "Big Pimpin" and "99 Problems." The fluidity of their individual songs blended into their collaborations has a lot to with their magnificent crew and musicians. Beyonce, the leading Feminist for feminists everywhere, purposely chose an all female dance crew and band. Among those were a force-of-natural guitarist who lit up the stage so beautifully. I could see the dazzling inspiration from the young girl that sat next to me as we watched with amazement. The lights, the sounds, the metrics f ridiculous stage setups, there was clearly no budget for this concert.

The Company

The field was to capacity! I, of course, was floating among the crowd, so opportunity to even get a glimpse of my feet was nearly impossible. Among the concert goers were families, close friend hangouts and lots of couples. It was definitely date night at the OTR Tour. During Jay-Z's set of "99 Problems" he showed mugshots of musicians, actors, artists and activists that ever served jail time. Of course, Philly native Meek Mill was a part of that b-roll. Jay-Z has been a long supporter and mentor to Meek for years, as well as the entire Philadelphia rap game. Some would even put him at the top of the list for being an instrumental figure to his release.
Meek Mill photo via Beyonce
Lauren London and Nipsey Hussle photo via Beyonce

The Style

The level of fashion at the concert ranged from streetwear casual to runway material. As i mentioned before, it was indeed date night. Couples came in matching sets from shirt to footwear. The dress code was a great blend between contemporary innovation and classic minimalism. Otherwise, fancy and cozy. Concert goers definitely showed off their personality through their fashion. From accessorizing and creating that personal statement, everyone came with their A-game. Women, most likely there to see Beyonce, wore signature Bey-merch to show their Beyhive support. While men wore something signifying their dedication to the Brooklyn rapper, whether in old school jerseys or Paper Planes Crown fitted caps. The footwear was everything from stilettos to exclusive Nike Air Force 1s.