The chicken head, heel toe, and the Harlem Shake dances were definitely necessary at the Millennium Tour in Detroit on Saturday night.
It was something like a blast from the past. Actually, it was a night to remember how old you really are when it comes to music.
A large crowd filled the seats of the Little Caesars Arena for an almost sold-out show as they awaited to see headliners Bow Wow and Mario.
“I went to the Millennium Tour when I was in middle school,” Roxanne Kennedy, 35, of Southfield, told Metro Times. "It feels good to relive this moment as an adult."
The show kicked off with R&B singers Keri Hilson, Lloyd, Pleasure P, Bobby V, and Sammie. Hip-hop acts Ying Yang Twins, Dem Franchize Boyz, Crime Mob, Travis Porter, Lil Scrappy, Trillville, and Chingy were also on the bill.
The four-hour show was filled with high energy from the beginning, as concertgoers tapped the person next to them and screamed, “Remember this song?” over the music.
When Porter hit the stage, the audience was ready for a good time.
“This is the Millennium Tour Turnt-Up, right?” the group said. As soon as the beat dropped, the crowd went wild as they began playing the song, “All the Way Turnt Up.” The group also played their classic hits like, “Ayy Ladies,” “Bring it Back,” and “Make it Rain.”
Once Dem Franchize Boyz hit the stage, the crowd roared as they danced to their throwback hits like “Lean wit It, Rock wit It,” “White Tee,” and “Oh I Think They Like Me.” People who had on a white tee were making sure it was noticed during their set as they pulled their shirts and danced in their row.
Lloyd surprised the audience by coming in from the back of the main floor area and jogging up to the stage just in time to perform his hit songs. He even played his guitar for a moment during his act, which was filled with positive energy as his back screen showed his music videos from the early 2000s.
Keri Hilson also wowed the crowd as she showed off her vocals. She came out to “Pretty Girl Rock” and gave a full performance as she danced around a white leather chair. During Hilson’s performance, she paid homage to other female artists on her set by showcasing their portraits on the screen as she sang her hits. Before she left the stage, she made sure to remind the audience that her pen game is not small. She played short clips of some of the other artists that she has written for, like R. Kelly, Mary J. Blige, and Omarion.
As the night was coming to an end, Mario was up next to perform his music. The lights went off in the arena and the announcer introduced the singer. You could see a glimpse of Mario high in the air on what looked like a 15-foot post he was standing on while on stage. After that intro, the lights never came back on in the area. A few moments later, you could see Mario being lowered down and heading behind a curtain. At that point, all you could see were the lights of cellphones and heads turning left to right as people were trying to figure out what was happening to Mario.
The audience waited in darkness for at least 15 minutes for the show to start back up again. The DJ continued to play music to keep the audience entertained. Flashing lights appeared with Mario in the air once again on the high platform, ready to sing to his audience.
There were some technical difficulties, Mario said.
“Thank you for being patient with us,” he added.
In spite of everything happening, Mario was able to still showcase his music by singing his songs like, “Braid my Hair” and “Let me Love You.” However, due to the tech difficulties, his set was cut short, though he still tried to give the audience his all while performing.
He ended his set by tossing his black shirt into the crowd and thanked the audience again for their patience, and said that he would be back soon.
Finally, Bow Wow, Mr. 106, and Park hit the stage, and the crowd went wild. Bow Wow came out to, “Fresh Az I’m Iz,” on the side of a bright-red motorcycle. The smoke and flashing light props added to the energy as Bow Wow performed “Let Me Hold You,” (yes, the audience did the arm movement from the video), “Bounce with me,” and “Like You.” Since the tour was short on time, Bow Wow did have to perform short verses from each of his songs. He made sure to show some love to Detroit by wearing the new Two 18 x air Jordan 2 kicks, an exclusive Detroit-themed sneaker that dropped last week. He ended the show with his song, “Thank you,” and left the stage just before 11 p.m.
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