The Independent Student Newspaper of St. John's University

The Torch

The Independent Student Newspaper of St. John's University

The Torch

The Independent Student Newspaper of St. John's University

The Torch

Chris Brown returns to F.A.M.E. on Long Island

Chris Brown returns to F.A.M.E. on Long Island

Despite several negative reports circulating the media recently, singer Chris Brown took the stage like a seasoned vet at
Long Island’s Nassau Coliseum on Sept. 30, with a performance that left concert goers in tears and in a pure state of euphoria.

The North American leg of the F.A.M.E. tour kicked off in Toronto on Sept. 12 and since then Brown has been a constant topic for bloggers and the media. Last week, rumors that his reported girlfriend Karrueche Tran is expecting his child exploded, as well as screenshots of Brown having inappropriate conversations with a male via Twitter surfaced on the internet.

The prince of pop is no stranger to controversy, and has learned that his fans are indeed his everything because of their unyielding support. Brown pushed his troubles aside and provided a show packed with entertainment for attendees, who ranged from young middle school girls, to 60-year-old women, to adult men.

“When I first heard about getting the tickets I couldn’t believe it,” said Gian Macri, 21, a senior at St. John’s. “I’ve always been a fan and I knew going to the concert was going to be pretty amazing.”

The diverse crowd awaited the headliner’s arrival while rapper Tyga of Young Money records opened up the show, followed by former Destiny’s Child member Kelly Rowland, and the king of auto-tune, T-Pain.

T-Pain, who celebrated his birthday that night, concluded his set with “All I Do is Win,” and gave a quick speech about Brown, whom he has known since the beginning of their careers. Saying, “Many people didn’t want Chris to make it, but here we are at the motherf*cking F.A.M.E. tour!”

A few minutes later, a digital clock appeared on the television screens and a 30 second countdown began. When it hit zero, red fluorescent lights lit the venue and from atop the stairs surfaced CB wearing a ski hat, sunglasses and cargo pants as the beat of “Say It With Me,” kicked-off the show.
The singer performed a slew of his hits as well as tracks from his latest effort including “Paper, Scissors, Rock” and “Next 2 U,” a collaboration with Justin Beiber. Team Breezy, a term coined by fans, recited every lyric and the energy that bounced off from the performer to his fans during the 90 minute show was unbelievable.

Unlike other performers, Brown was able to keep the crowd’s attention without many gimmicks. He had no musical guests except for his “Fan of Fan” mixtape partner, Tyga, who joined him on stage for “Deuces” and “Holla At Me.”  During other duets like “No Air” featuring Jordin Sparks, Brown simply extended his arm toward fans saying, “I need some help from my girls on this one.”

The tone of the show became a bit more intimate at one point as the “Say Goodbye” singer came out sporting a sophisticated black blazer and dress pants, suspenders and a button up white shirt. After singing “Body to Body,” he followed by serenading and
dancing for a fan on stage to “Take You Down,” in a barely appropriate manner.

“When he took off his shirt I think I went deaf. I’ve never heard so many girls scream so loud, but he put on a great performance from start to
finish,” said Macri.

The show took a more relaxed mood as the singer went back to basics performing “Yo,” “Popping” and “Ain’t No Way,”— a segment dedicated to fans that have followed his career since the release of his self-titled debut album in 2005. The atmosphere was that of nostalgia as the now 20-somethings were transported back to their early teenage years.

The show preceded with familiar back flips and signature dance moves that have become expected of the singer. One of the highlights of the show was the ability Brown possesses to switch from romantic tracks, to party anthems, to simple pop songs and
the versatility kept the swarm of fans alert.

The show appeared to come to a close when the lights dimmed after Brown exited the stage at the end of “Forever” from Exclusive, leaving concert
goers confused and shocked at what seemed like too abrupt an ending.

After a few seconds, the mutli-colored fluorescent lights turned on and CB and his dancers appeared in white, illuminated suits as the Benny Benassi
produced “Beautiful People” began playing.

“He definitely saved the best for last. ‘Beautiful people’ is one of my favorite songs and that performance blew me away,” Macri said. “Of course I didn’t want it to end but definitely felt satisfied with his show.”

For many, the party continued after the show ended, but for some, the concert was enough to fulfill the excitement and thrill that many expect out of a Friday night. By belting out his R&B hits and performing his uplifting, party-starting songs, CB has made his mark in music and has proven to be one of the most talented performers of this generation.

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