Last night in (Dec. 16) Baltimore, 1st Mariner Arena was the place to be. Trey Songz, along with Miguel and Elle Varner, brought his “Chapter V World Tour,” presented by MTV Jams and OoVoo, to the historic building for an exciting night.
The show kicked off around 7:30 p.m. with Elle Varner as the opening act. Rocking a black and white outfit, Elle opened her set with a freestyle assisted by beatboxer Anointed-S. Afterward, she went on to perform her singles from her Perfectly Imperfect album: “Only Wanna Give It To You,” a piano-driven version of “Not Tonight,” “I Don’t Care,” and “Refill.” Her vocals were beyond impressive, especially when she performed her hit single “Refill.” Overall, Elle’s performance was pretty solid. It would have been nice if her set was longer.
After a brief intermission, a dapper Miguel made an entrance on stage while his “Kaleidoscope Dream” track played in the background. The first song he sang was “Sure Thing,” from his debut album, All I Want Is You. He also performed other songs from that album including “Quickie,” and “All I Want Is You.” The majority of his setlist focused on his sophomore album, Kaleidoscope Dream. The six-time Grammy Award nominee performed cuts like “Thrill,” “Use Me,” “Do You,” “P*ssy is Mine,” and critically acclaimed single “Adorn.” Miguel’s performance was exceptional and memorable. He was energetic and had a great stage presence. He definitely didn’t hide the fact that he had sex appeal. When he took off his shirt, the crowd went wild. He heated up the room, even more, when he teased the crowd by pulling down his pants, showing off his V-line.
After a brief intermission and set change, it was time for Trey Songz to come out. “Chapter V,” the title track of his latest album, played as the intro track for Trigga’s set. As the curtains slowly rose, the audience roared in excitement. He wasted no time entertaining his female fans. He kicked off the show with sensual songs like “Panty Dropper,” “Panty Wetter,” and “Love Faces.” Some ladies couldn’t help themselves, as a couple of panties ended up on the stage. Moving forward, the R&B crooner performed other fan-favorite tracks including “Love Faces,” “Heart Attack,” “The Usual,” “Pretty Girl’s Lie,” “Can’t Be Friends,” “Neighbors Know My Name,” “Fumble,” “Without A Woman,” His “Without A Woman” performance was fun to watch. He brought out his saxophonist, Eric, to do a call and response rendition of the song.
Trigga threw a mini party on stage, when he danced to 2 Chainz’s “Birthday Song.” The crowd was live and receptive, dancing and singing along as if they were in a club. As the show came to an end, Trigga performed his club banger singles “Bottoms Up” and “2 Reasons.” Overall, his performance was okay. There were a few moments when he struggled to stay on key.
All in all, the Chapter V Tour at 1st Mariner Arena was a success. After watching the show, there’s a reason Trey Songz, Miguel, and Elle Varner all have been nominated for a 2013 Grammy Award. In addition, we give R&B artists like Trey Songz kudos for still keeping the genre alive and being able to headline shows in an arena.