Review: Jennifer Lopez

Photos by Susan Pfannmuller/Special to The Star

Her set was relatively short for a headliner, but for the nearly 70 minutes she was on stage, Jennifer Lopez and her entourage of dancers and musicians filled the Sprint Center with a blizzard of sights and sounds. 

There were several wardrobe changes; there were skits; there were videos and virtual guests (Lil Wayne, Pitbull, Flo Rida); there was a light show; there was high-flying choreography; there was confetti; and, almost incidentally, there was singing. And most of the night, the crowd of 9,000-plus was standing, adding to the festive mood.

The set list included barely more than a dozen songs, including a three-song medley, and most were her best-known songs. “Get Right,” which opened the show after her dancers, in top hats and canes, delivered an old-school Hollywood dance routine. Then she rolled out the hits, including some that are now more than a decade old: “Love Don’t Cost a Thing,” “I’m Into You,” “Waiting for Tonight.”

Lopez was backed by an eight-piece band that included two backup vocalists, and surrounded by her buff dance crew most of the night. She turned 43 in July, but she hung with much-younger dance partners, who included her boyfriend, Casper Smart. She isn’t the most dynamic vocalist and it seemed apparent she was getting some recorded backup throughout the night, especially during those songs in which she also danced vigorously. After one of those numbers, she was clearly out of breath as she spoke to the crowd.

Her onstage personae is appealing; she manages to come across as the girl she portrays in “Jenny From the Block,” which provided one of the bigger moments of the night. Things slowed a bit during a boxing skit that broke out in the middle of the show, set to her song “Louboutins.” That gave her time for another wardrobe change. She returned to the stage after that and launched into “Goin’ In,” then the medley that mashed up “I’m Real,” “All I Have” and “Ain’t it Funny.”

She pounded some conga drums to introduce the propulsive party anthem, “Let’s Get Loud,” then rolled into the caffeinated dance anthem “Papi.” Much of her music is heavily beat driven, primal dance music, so lyrics are typically an afterthought — mostly couplets such as “Put your hands up in the air, dance for your man, if you care.” She ended with another of those high-octane disco bombs, “Dance Again,” a single off her just-released “Dance Again … The Hits” album, which set off the confetti cannons, further whipping up the celebratory mood.

Lopez is touring with Enrique Iglesias, who opened the show with a one-hour-plus set that was as dynamic as hers, even more so at times. He turned 36 in May, but Iglesias acts like a guy in his mid-20s who likes to have a good time, all the time. He brought two guys on stage for a chat that went on too long, plied them with a lot of his own brand of rum, then talked one in to helping him with his cover of “Stand By Me.” And despite the presence of children as young as 5 or so, he dropped more than a few F-bombs.”

For his signature anthem “Hero,” he encouraged people in the lower section to bust through security and fill the floor around the secondary stage at the back of the arena, which they did. Then he brought on stage a woman who said she was 21and then lasciviously serenaded her. 

But he also ignited the place with jackhammer dance tunes such as “I Like How It Feels,” “Dirty Dancer” and “I Like It.” His set, too, was filled with lots of visual stimuli (lasers, a disco ball, virtual appearances by Usher and Lil Wayne). It all served the point of the entire evening, which was about escape and reaping the fleeting but visceral rewards of sheer entertainment. 

| Timothy Finn, The Star

Comments

[Phil]

I might have gone and seen her,
if she was playing/dancing at Bazookas. I might have even paid her 20 bucks to lip sync me.
I like the older performers

[Jennifer Lopez]

My name is Jennifer Lopez and I
like eating tacos and burritos.

[Bubba]

Phil, you said it! The very same night, I was at the Summer Car Load concert at Sandstone and saw SHOOTING STAR, MARK FARNER, PAT TRAVERS and BLACK OAK ARKANSAS. During MARK FARNER, there was this 40 year-old blond who was taking off her top (at request). She was no spring chicken but she was very decent. For years, I didn't even know really who J-Lo was. ONLY way I would have attended this gig was that IF a free ticket was given to me + if her had been on another night. Glad her fans enjoyed the show, though. Bubba said it. Don't forget it.

[pellboy]

Had planned on going to CarJam but got back into town too late to attend. How was it, Bubba and how many folks do you think showed up?

[Bubba]

Maybe 4,000 to 5,000. A decent amount of patrons were sitting in the upper lawn section. PAT TRAVERS was better than I expected - considering I've never been that huge fan of his. BLACK OAK ARKANSAS was fun (two original members, I believe) to catch on a big stage as such. I am SO glad I didn't pay $18 to see them at the Riot Room a month or so ago. SHOOTING STAR rocked.

[Jennifer Lopez]

This is my best song http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2k64w3354kE

[Kurt]

Let's Get Loud. I always liked that tune. More should have gone to this show.

[jhhoskins@yahoo.com]

Mark Farner{ Grand Funk Railroad } had a GREAT set. For being almost 64 years old he played, sang, and ROCKED the stage like he was 24. Sang Closer To Home in honor of our Vietnam Vets. Thought all the bands did a good job. And yes SHOOTING STAR rocked, with a little added 3 piece horn section, and two ladies on back up vocals for Vans new solo project and a couple of S.S. classics. The best bang for your buck on a nice night and awesome venue.

[pellboy]

Yeah, bummed I missed Travers as he doesn't come thru town very often anymore (he was supposed to play Knuckleheads last year but show was cancelled for some reason) and would have been nice to see Farner as well. One more question, friend and I were having a debate on the performing order of those acts...who ended up being the "headliner"?

[lilskins]

Shooting Star was the headliner.

[pellboy]

Ha, I win my bet then! I said SS would probably headline because of the local angle, friend said it would be Farner.

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