During this seven-hour process - because, let's face it, it was more of a process than a concert - there were awkward pauses and silence from the mainly teenage audience. Not to mention hurried performances and sloppy transitions. Of the 11 acts across the seven hours only three - Ne-Yo, Mary J. Blige and Chris Brown - were not rushed, sloppy or anticlimactic.
DJ Flipside, a local B-96 DJ, was given a half-hour slot to play, mix, and scratch B-96 hits. Flipside entertained the crowd with his blend of R&B, crunk, hip-hop, and a few slipped-in House songs. His set, while original, seemed to be pre-planned and possibly pre-mixed with only the scratching being done live. Flipside is a talented DJ and with a knack for knowing how to move and enthrall a crowd--and after limp and careless performances by Ray-J and T-Pain the crowd was almost lifeless. Pink followed those two. While her performance was fresh, it was too rock'n'roll for this mainly R&B/hip-hop show. Flipside's set was an introduction of some of the better things to come.
Flipside's turntable tactics was followed by the young newcomer Ne-Yo. A talented songwriter that penned the hit "Let Me Love You" for fellow crooner Mario, Ne-Yo came into his own as a performer with the release of his single "So Sick." His live rendition of that same song was inspired and his vocal talent translated very well on stage. One of the key differences between him and other artists on the bill was that he could carry a show by himself. While artists like Ray-J, Sean Paul and Rihanna require hype - men and dancers to make their performances lively - Ne-Yo stands alone with his voice and sleek movements. While his set was short it was a highlight of the day. That was, until Mary J. Blige hit the stage...
What can you say about Mary? Frankly, she is a lady of soul for a deprived and jilted generation. She easily outperformed everyone else with a combination of live instrumentation, spirited vocals and a cool blend of songs. Her songs built the crowd into a frenzy, and by the end of her near 40 minute set songs like "Family Affair" and "No More Drama" elicited major reaction from a largely quiet crowd. While this festival format prohibited most artists from performing properly and to their fullest, Mary J. was able to put on a show with energy and panache.
Even Mary J. and Ne-Yo's first class performances still couldn't save this show from being a near debacle. Shortly after their hard work laid down a foundation of solid performances, a fashion show and Rihanna's time on stage calmed the crowd. Despite having two of the top songs of the last two summers - "Pon De Replay" and "SOS" - her stage act was surprisingly dull. Her dancers did most of the moving around and her singing was dry. On her two hits, the musical rides were more exciting than the actual words. The same went for Sean Paul, who you could not understand at all during his performance. Luckily for Sean Paul, his production is worth more than his lyrical content.
The last of three performances that amounted to entertainment was Chris Brown. Brown, another young artist, took the concept of over-the-top and applied it to his short set. His dancers, along with him, were very mobile and acrobatic. And during a short break--due to Brown's voice problems - there was a dance showcase with plenty of break-dancing. Regardless of vocal issues he continued his show and his song "Run It" - a combination of honey-dew vocals and Lil' John-like synth and bassline - was a crowd favorite. His stop-and-go performance was still better than that of Dem Franchize Boyz or the closing act Bow Wow - although Bow Wow was highly anticipated by the female portion of the audience.
The Summer Bash, like 8th grade dances, had a few good songs, a few improvised moments, and some dancing. It was only memorable for an hour or so while the other six were just time passing by. While the show was an honorable attempt at tackling the problem of cramming 11 acts into seven hours, it failed. The few acts that managed to pace their time well and put the most into their performance were the saving grace of the day, but the majority that couldn't do that helped sink the other's attempts.
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