In front of the Majestic stage at the Lizzo concert, the surrounding audience watched as the Detroit-born, Minneapolis-bred emcee stole the show — and hearts of all those in attendance.
Two very solid openers preempted Lizzo’s Friday performance: ME eN YOU and Cavanaugh. Both acts aptly warmed up the crowd — they were both hip-hop inspired, but also genre-blending. Cavanaugh, comprised of solo artists Serengeti and Mike Eagle, suited Lizzo particularly well. Their lyrics were provocative, but posses a more satirical approach compared to Lizzo’s rebellious tone.
Following the openers, Lizzo’s DJ, Sophia Erris, hyped up the crowd with a mix of hits and throwbacks. She finished her set with Kanye West’s new mega-hit “Ultra Light Beams,” which elevated the tightly packed crowd of alternative college kids to a level of energy normally reserved for EDM shows at Liquid.
Lizzo to unleash messages of body positivity, feminism on upcoming Majestic crowd
The table was set for Lizzo, and she ate up the crowd’s energy, opening up her perfect length set with “Ain’t I,” which also comes first on her latest album Big GRRRL Small World. The song was aggressive, yet catchy. A verse of the song told the story of her grandparents working in Henry Ford’s factory, and how their unacknowledged efforts ultimately aided his legacy. This strong introduction only amplified the crowd’s energy.
Lizzo’s performing companions stood out immediately to those in attendance Friday. Throughout various instances in the show, Lizzo performed some of her tracks with the her two backup dancers, both of whom were a key component of her excellent performance.
Not only did each dancer perfectly highlight Lizzo’s themes of body positivity, as neither fit the mold of the standard back-up dancer, but they also emphasized themes of female empowerment with their impressive and impactful choreography.
Lizzo was no exception to this, as she often partook in the choreography, and was always quick to give a shoutout to her dancing duo, her accompanying keyboardist and DJ. All parties fused together to create an excellent concert experience that reached beyond the surface of the stimulating music.
That being said, Lizzo still demanded the spotlight with her sheer energy, and destroyed every song she rapped, sung and even instrumentally performed. At one point, Lizzo broke out an epic flute solo, blowing the audience’s minds with her versatility.
Lizzo clearly appreciated performing in Madison, and consistently praised the Majestic audience for being her tour’s most energetic crowd. This appreciation manifested itself throughout the show, and culminated with Lizzo’s encore performance of her most popular song, “Batches and Cookies,” which closed out an already emotional night, ending the show on a sky-high note.
It was simultaneously refreshing and exhilarating to see someone as talented and passionate as Lizzo perform. One can only hope she will grace Madison with her regal presence again soon.
