The legendary Beyoncé has completed her two-night engagement with the DMV Hive. Located at FedEx Field, each show was completely sold out. Renaissance, the album, pays homage to house music, disco, and the LGBTQ ballroom scene. Almost all the concert attendees made sure to dress for the party. There was a sea of silver, sequins, and rhinestones. Bedazzled hats, accordion fans, and cowboy boots were the accessory of choice. Saturday’s show had multiple celebrities in attendance. The Obamas and Vice President Kamala Harris were the most notable. Kamala dressed on theme, in a silver sequined shirt and white palazzo pants. Jay-Z and Beyoncé’s mom, Tina, are at each stop and this weekend was no different. Beyoncé’s sister Solange came to Saturday’s show. Also, one of the most iconic Beyhive members, Antony Cosby Hyphen Knowles was spotted on the concert floor. Antony is known by the Beyhive as the fan that legally took Beyoncé’s last name. He proudly showed Beyoncé his license to prove it at the I AM…World Tour at the former Verizon Center. He has affectionately been deemed Beyoncé’s husband ever since. Overall, the show was destined for excellence before Beyoncé even graced the stage.
Before we get to the good stuff, let’s talk about FedEx Field. It was obvious that Fedex Field does not have the ability to properly facilitate a concert. It is puzzling because FedEx Field is the home of the Washington Commanders. One would assume they should be more than capable of getting people into and out of the stadium. They are not. First, the police did a horrible job of directing traffic into the parking lots. Instead of extending the traffic lights, they went completely against the natural flow of traffic and caused extreme backups. Second, there was no signage for parking lots until you were inside the stadium. If assigned a parking lot, drivers had to navigate across multiple lanes of traffic. Being assigned a parking lot did not even matter in the long run, however.
A lot of attendees, myself included, bought a parking pass, as all of the emails insinuated that paying for parking before the event secured the price. Parking, once the tax was included, cost $81. Once in the stadium, there were at least 30 event staff members outside with signs that told everyone to have phone-only parking passes ready. The only problem was, that not one of those people actually asked to see the pass. They ended up telling everyone to “just find a space.” As a result, most people didn’t even pay for parking and still got to use the lots. Getting out of the lot after the show was even worse. Proof that as much as the DMV “improves,” it is still the same nonsense.
Beyoncé began the show with some of her slower hits: “Dangerously in Love,” “Flaws and All,” “1+1,” and “I Care.” A multifaceted act of rebellion in and of itself. She let us know her mic was on and put her buttery vocals on full display. Proving to her audience that at the end of the day, while this is a party, she is a vocalist first. Afterward, she brought us all to the discotheque. The beginning of “I’m That Girl” unapologetically proclaims “these motherf*****s ain’t stopping me!” Then the party began.
Beyoncé put a myriad of details into the Renaissance show. For starters, she opens each show wearing a different couture garment. Tours can get repetitive with costumes. Her decision to switch it up makes each show unique. Next is her posting pictures from each show to her Instagram page. Beyoncé is known for being an infrequent user of social media. Her posts after each show have become a “thank you” of sorts. Finally, there was the “everybody on mute” challenge. During the verse for “Energy,” Beyoncé sings “look round, everybody on mute” and pauses all music and movement to see if the audience will follow along in the silence. As of Aug. 7, Beyoncé herself has deemed D.C. the winner of the “everybody on mute” challenge!
The only person that could upstage Beyoncé is her 11-year-old daughter and protegee, Blue Ivy. The audience erupted when Blue Ivy entered the stage. Clad in an appropriately colored blue sequined top and pants, she took command of the stage. Fans have watched her evolve since her first appearance on the tour. Initially, she was a shy and nervous performer. Last weekend solidified her as bold and confident. Her personality effortlessly shined through to 50,000 concertgoers. Established artists cannot command a stage the way Blue Ivy did. She performed alongside Beyoncé at first. Then, Blue Ivy led the dancers to the mini stage and danced for a short medley of hits. All eyes were on Blue, and when she finished, the audience began to chant her name. The Sunday show yielded a shorter appearance from Blue Ivy due to the weather. However, there was no shortage of energy from her. The ultimate professional, she gave the audience 100%, just like her mom. Beyhive members constantly joke that Blue Ivy is Beyoncé’s manager, making sure everything is right. It’s clear that Blue is accepting the torch that Beyoncé is passing to her.
Closing the show, Beyoncé detailed how she hoped that we felt love. Love for each other, love for life, and most importantly, love for ourselves. The show was her way of showing love to her fans, both new and old. Her disco horse, Reneigh, and silver confetti were all that remained once she exited the stage. A metaphor for leaving it all on the dance floor. Renaissance is euphoric. A lot of the comments, upon exiting, were wishes to go to the Sunday show. Positive energy exuded from everyone in the stadium. For a moment, the stress of life was forgotten, and we had the opportunity to just be, or rather, Bey. Even with the lightning delay and rain of Sunday’s show. She lovingly told the crowd “If you’re in the rain, I’m in the rain too,” showing her solidarity to the audience. Beyoncé also paid $100,000 to WMATA to extend operations by one hour due to the weather delay. Throughout the album, Beyoncé’s message is clear. Release the drama. Each of us are survivors of our individual struggles. Now is the time to release. To liberate ourselves and enjoy the sweet parts of life. The Renaissance Tour is the physical manifestation of the album’s message. Each show is a once-in-a-lifetime experience and, just like Beyoncé, there will never be another.
Article image by Andrew White, courtesy of Edinburgh News.
