Lenny Kravitz performs at the Fillmore Miami Beach. (Tomas Loewy / Miami.com)

Having been absent from U.S. stages for more than five years, Lenny Kravitz’s fans traveled out to the Fillmore Miami Beach on Saturday night, rather than American Airlines Arena, to witness the rock Adonis. The turnout for the last leg of Kravitz’s U.S. tour affirmed that his place in fans’ hearts is unwavering. Kravitz transcended the intimate setting into an epic rock spectacle elating the crowd with a culmination of hits.

Kravitz peppered cuts off his ninth album in with classic soul encompassing and peace vibed tracks. Opening with the “Come On And Get It” leading into a smooth transition into “Always On The Run” delivering his cross genre repertoire of formidable soul-funk and axe grinding rock.

It was amazing to attend this event and reflect on the career of Lenny Kravitz, realizing that it has spanned over two decades and nine albums, where has the time gone? The age scope of attendees ranging from tweens to AARP members was a blunt force testamentonial. However in true rock form, all generational barriers were bridged as the entire venue gyrated to “Are You Gonna Go My Way”.

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Belting out “American Woman”, Kravitz acknowledged his long absence from American stages and professed his affinity for “being back home”. A set perpetuating an affluent career inspired by love and loss to whimsy of peace through positivity with everything from “Mr. Cab Driver”, “It Ain’t Over”, to the dark horse, “Rock N Roll Is Dead”.
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Andrea Bocelli performs at the BankAtlantic Center on Tuesday. (Andrew Nathanson / GatorProduction.com)

Laced in luxe tapestry and red carpets, then suited with full symphonic choir and orchestra, the Bank Atlantic Center attempted a transition into sophistication. Andrea Bocelli returned to South Florida delivering an unabashedly romantic and emotional Valentine’s Day performance. Of course the scene was not without typical V-Day drama.

Gridlock and parking turmoil forced the delay of the overture by an half hour; which also forced late arrivals at the sold-out performance to stir and intrude on much of the first act’s arias. In a venue mostly home to hockey games and rock acts, the formal, majestic Opera House impression fell short in the arena surroundings. Though snack-bar fare in a tuxedo may be enjoyable, at over $300 per ticket, perhaps service with a monocle was in order? Amongst the attendees of the Valentine’s soiree were those ceremoniously glammed for the “holiday” and event, blending with the casually clad paying homage to Bocelli’s status as opera’s rock star.

Bocelli was supported by the Eugene Kohn as conductor, who has accompanied the likes of Luciano Pavarotti and Placido Domingo, and joined by soprano Eglise Gutierrez and special guest Heather Headley.

Photos: Andrea Bocelli at BankAtlantic Center | Visit Patti Canedo’s website

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Kelly Clarkson performs at Y-100's Jingle Ball. (Howie Grapek / GPO)

For weeks Y100 exhaustively plugged Jingle Ball 2011, its ongoing list of performers and (practically no) show-stopping surprises. Finally, the event emerged on the Bank Atlantic Center stages to all the teens, tweens and moms whose job it was to act as chauffeur/balance post to girls jumping and hollering on chairs. The amped-up lineup was a who’s who of the station’s most (over) played.

Headlining the holiday extravaganza in his native barrio was Mr. 305, Pitbull. A noticeably exhausted and hoarse Mr. Worldwide still flailed, gyrated in usual Pitbull fashion to a waning crowd; most likely because it was past curfew. Pitbull took “Boom Baby Baby” into a “Are You Gonna Go My Way” rif with a little “I Just Came To Say Hello” sample to get the crowd pumped. As ever, Pitbull commandeered the stage with his dynamic presence and excellent horn- and percussion-rich band but performed a string of hits that showcase him as a “featuring…” artist. At 40 hip-swerving minutes, the longest set of the night enlisted the aid of friends Mark Anthony and Chris Brown lending vocals from a projection screen for “Rain Over Me” and “International Love”.

Pitbull briefly appropriated his own set with “Mentirosa” and “Bon, Bon”, hits that would typically crush this area code, but to accommodate the evening’s Top 40 theme were squeezed between “International Love” and “I Know You Want Me”. Speaking of people he’s collaborated with, Cuban singer and Miami resident Nayer accompanied a sweat-laced, raspy voiced Pitbull to close the show with a shattering “Give Me Everything”.
Mr. 305 followed David Guetta, who was encompassed by a stage wide DJ booth. From behind the prodigious turntable Guetta transcended the concert venue to his native club surroundings. In an abrupt 30-minute set, Guetta led the crowd through club and radio hits including “Where Dem Girls At” with special guest, Flo Rida, and pre-recorded Nicki Minaj vocals.

Photos: Y-100 Jingle Ball | Visit this writer’s website

The highly-amped Flo Rida addition to the Jingle Ball line-up was culminated when Elvis Duran beckoned Flo Rida to finish business. As a late addition, there was no time to hoist Flo Rida and dangle him above the crowd so he performed “Good Feeling” on the shoulders of a security guard on the floor to be somewhat among the crowd. The rapper enlisted personnel’s help to hold him up as he climbed the barrier between the stage and floor reeving up the audience for an awaiting Pitbull.
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Enrique Iglesias performs at Miami's American Airlines Arena. (Aaron Gilbert / luumphotos.com)

Miami natives returned with an amazing homecoming performance on Saturday at American Airlines Arena. Enrique Iglesias and Pitbull brought the Euphoria tour to South Florida in amazing exhibition of their Latin heritage and evolved, exhilarating sound.

A quick dim of the lights and simple drop of the curtain suddenly unveiled Iglesias to an already frenzied audience.  To kick off the homecoming extravaganza, he ignited the arena with (and ended the show with) the dance hit “Tonight (I’m Lovin’ You)”. Keeping the rhythm on dance mode he followed up with “Dirty Dancer” with video footage of Usher accompanied by perfectly orchestrated lasers.

The rhythm of the performance quickly merged from dance jumping hits to Iglesias’ romantic, Latin-influenced material. Of course, there are always certain perks to seeing a megastar performing in his hometown, i.e. an outrageous surprise appearance by Wisin & Yandel. Iglesias was as elated as the crowd by the trio’s performance of their hit off Euphoria, “No Me Digas Que No”.

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Then a beautiful flamenco guitar segued into a romantic introduction of “Bailamos” but was quickly engulfed by the house-pounding beat, smoke and light show. Iglesias slowed the pace for a moment to deliver a beautiful, unplugged “Cuando Me Enamoro”.
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Brandon Boyd and Incubus perform at Miami's Bayfront Park Amphitheatre. (Erin Marta / rhythmscene.com)

The July release of If Not Now, When? marked Incubus’ first album since 2006’s Light Grenades. After their extended hiatus, a revitalized and noticeably evolved Incubus has emerged on tour. Last night, rolling off the gentle breeze of the surf on a warm Miami night, the neo-metal sound of Incubus blasted through the city’s Bayfront area. The intimate audience size (more so than previous tours) swarmed the stage of the Bayfront Park Amphitheatre, pleased that the hard rock crew hadn’t lost their edge.

The band began their re-acquaintance with fans with a single off A Crow Left Of The Murder, “Megalomaniac”. Brandon Boyd’s energetic delivery was an immediate confirmation of the long-awaited return of Incubus, and was followed up by the crowd-provoking “Wish You Were Here”.

Photos: Incubus performs at Bayfront Park Amphitheatre | Visit this writer’s website

With an elated audience compelled to its feet Boyd enticed the audience with the first single off their latest LP, “Adolescents”. That began a purposeful set list to remind the fan of the band’s neo-rock, eclectic discography while slowly revealing their new direction.
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Marc Anthony performs at American Airlines Arena. (Christina Mendenhall / rhythmscene.com)

The crowd chanted, “Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you,” trying to lure their salsero out on stage. After dispensing with the obligatory Goya Foods schpeal, whose 75th anniversary was the supposed purpose of the celebration, Marc Anthony descended to a sold-out American Airlines Arena. The crowd jumped to its feet where it remained the rest of the evening.

Anthony immediately grasped his hold on the audience by opening the evening with his biggest U.S. hit, “I Need To Know”. With the crowd swooning and ignited, Anthony’s charismatic energy led the crowd into a powerful performance of “Aquanile”. His haunting, soft opening flowed seamlessly into a high-energy salsa beat. His renowned, elegant passions were personified in a classic debonair black suit with a simple stage set with a few monitors and his (large) backup band.

Known for his ability to slide from powerhouse, high energy to big band salsa to enchanting ballad, Anthony moved the gyrating audience with “Hasta Ayer”. He portrayed the enchanting characteristics of a classic Latino entertainer — emotional, moving, forceful, and yelling at his keyboard player during a tantalizing exhibition.

Photos: Marc Anthony at American Airlines Arena | Visit this writer’s website

The dazzled audience erupted with the enchanting title track from Anthony’s Grammy-winning album Valio La Pena. Infected by his own salsa rhythm of commanding percussion and exultant horn loops, Anthony was not only haunting with the mic but a compelling dancer.
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Among the musicians paying tribute to the music of the '60s and '70s were Rick Derringer, Gary Wright and Mark Farner. (Photos by Veda Jo Jenkins / sflimages.com)

The nostalgic fabric of time spun back to an era clad in tie-dye, dashikis, and flower power with Hippiefest 2011 at the Hard Rock Live on Sunday night. It’s been more than 40 years since the days of Woodstock (and over 10 since my generation tarnished the name in ’99), but decades later we are still yearning for peace and love and protesting the war machine. The cast marching us through this portal to yesteryear included the legends that helped define a generation with their influence on music.

Felix Cavaliere, best known for his work with the Young Rascals in the ‘60s, pumped up the retro-hungry crowd. The Song Writing Hall of Famer spiritedly performed the hits that got the crowd flashing back (if that didn’t do it the psychedelic backdrop probably triggered some old trips). His best known hits like “I’ve Been Lonely Way Too Long”, “Midnight Owl (cover)”, “People Got To Be Free”, “Groovin’”, and Good Lovin’” were fitted with snippets of “Just My Imagination”, “My Girl”, “Everyday People”, and “Nowhere To Run”. The stage was flipped between artists within minutes as most of the lineup shared the house band.

Photos: Hippiefest at Hard Rock Live | Visit this writer’s website

Rick Derringer opened with what seemed to be the anthem for the evening, “Still Alive and Well”. In between lectures on politics and rock history, Derringer performed the McCoys’ No. 1 hit “Hang On Sloopy”, and paid tribute to our troops with the “Star Spangled Banner” that lead into “Real American”. Calling on his fellow Hippiefest mates, he closed with his solo signature “Rock ‘n’ Roll Hoochie Koo”.
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Britney Spears performs at AmericanAirlines Arena in Miami. (Storms Media Group)

I’ll admit that my personal agenda of the evening was mainly to see Nicki Minaj, but having to sit through the anticlimactic Britney Spears set was a heavy price to pay. As I uttered when the countdown to Brit’s performance dwindled on the big screen and the lights went down in the AmericanAirlines Arena on Friday, “Let’s just get through this.”

The show was an overblown and underwhelming spectacle with all the generic elements and story lines you can throw on one stage. Spears opened with “Hold It Against Me” to find the Femme Fatale eluding authorities (assumingly for ticket gouging). But attempts to entrance the audience with the obligatory (and overused) rise above the audience routine, along fireworks and Brit’s stiff dancing, were contrived and blasé. Even the “…Baby One More Time” lead into Rihanna’s “S&M” fell short, probably because it was performed in the never sexy and quite tired dominatrix garb. We get it Brit, you are trying to shed the pop tart image.

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Random Marilyn Monroe and Cleopatra references, along with cartoonish Japanese skits and design sets, were more self-indulgent than engaging. Relying heavily on mechanical props, moving platforms and an army of dancers to propel this performance to the level her fans wish it would be instead faltered. Perhaps now that the theatrics have become stale it’s time to do better than 40 percent live?
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Kylie Minogue emerges from a golden shell during the opening moments of her 'Aphrodite' tour stop in Sunrise. (RhythmScene.com)

It’s been nine years since the KylieFever tour, Kylie Minogue’s biggest tour to date which set a precedent that all pop concerts should be staged so epically and performed so phenomenally. With a reputation as a trendsetter and iconic style symbol, Kylie Minogue has metamorphosed in the Aphrodite: Les Folies tour. While the U.S. wing of the Aphrodite tour has been specifically designed for more intimate settings, the show will be grander than you’ve ever experienced Minogue. The BankAtlantic Center was transformed with Corinthian columns and the Goddess arrived on a gold throne escorted by her band of Adonises.

The faithful flocked in droves to witness this unique occasion complete with Pegasus and Greek warriors. The set list was littered with songs from every Minogue era, from the club-oriented dance-pop beats of her new LP, Aphrodite, to the very beginning sounds of a young pop tart. She worked in her most recognizable singles on this side of the pond, “Loco-Motion” and “Can’t Get You Out Of My Head”.

Photos: Kylie Minogue @ BankAtlantic Center | Visit this writer’s website

The Australian diva’s latest effort, Aphrodite, has a club dance presence which is what attracts her fans and has established her cult status. This lavish performance led her devotees on an elaborate excursion as a revered goddess with “Aphrodite” and “Wow”, to a tortured soul facing Hades with “Can’t Get You Out Of My Head” and “Confide In Me”, to her final ascension in heaven with “There Must Be An Angel” and “Love At First Sight/Can’t Beat The Feeling”.
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Usher performs at BankAtlantic Center as his OMG tour makes a second South Florida stop. (Christina Mendenhall / rhythmscene.com)

Usher whipped the crowd of South Floridian chicas to a fever pitch with a stop at the BankAtlantic Center on Wednesday night. Atlanta’s son is hailed for his outrageous performances, boosting his reputation as the “King of R&B”.

Usher literally descended on the BankAtlantic stage from the rafters above in a post-apocalyptic scene, opening the show with “Monstar”. From this vanquished stage and costume of destruction emerged the highly charged “She Don’t Know” and “Yeah”.

But a quickie stage and ensemble make-over lead to a nostalgic set with a look at early Usher faves. The nearly full arena took part in the classics “U Remind Me”, “U Don’t Have to Call” and “U Make Me Wanna”. With the crowd already on its feet it was time to blow them away.

Photos: Usher, Akon at BankAtlantic Center | Visit this writer’s website

The next stop on the “OMG” agenda, a galactic extravaganza. Ready for liftoff? “Mars v. Venus” boosted the performance to other worldly. And even as Usher took this chapter of “OMG” to “Nice & Slow”, the night was anything but.
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