St. Louis R. Kelly fans got the first taste of the singer’s multi-city Buffet Tour Friday night at the St. Charles Family Arena. Although named after Kelly’s latest studio album, the concert was a buffet in the literal sense in that it provided a smorgasbord of the singer’s R&B hits.
It was also like a buffet in the sense that while the concert provided endless variety, but the vastness of the menu came at the cost of overall flavor.
Kelly offered fans a massive sampler platter of appetizers from his nearly 30 year career in R&B as opposed to a well-crafted meal catered to nourishing fans with the best of his catalog.
Ironically, the only thing fans didn’t get a heavy helping of with the show was music from the album he’s supposed to be on tour promoting.
The show opened with “Real Housewives of Atlanta” regular Demetria McKinney. The show consisted mostly of covers – including Beyoncé’s “Drunk in Love” and Tory Lanez “Say It,” but originals “Trade it All” and “100” fared well enough with the audience.
Her stage presence was serviceable at best, but McKinney has a solid voice.
It was nearly 10 p.m. when R. Kelly took the stage, but it was clear from the very beginning that he was trying to be worth the wait.
A suspense building gothic anti-hero introduction kicked off the show with a booming “welcome to the buffet” pre-recording.
And so began the all-you-can-eat R. Kelly experience that included dozens of songs, four outfit changes and three segments of video clips.
There was even a pointless re-enactment of Kelly in lounge mode – sitting in a recliner watching Kobe Bryant’s final basketball game before segueing into a Netflix binge.
Video clips aside, the audio visual elements of the show were top-notch – though the corny scripted dialogue between Kelly the R. Bot blimp drone was almost unbearable.
Kelly spent nearly two-and-a-half hours with his fans Friday night and they got what could be best described as a live box set.
The first segment of the show was a manic run though of Kelly’s club bangers.
“That’s That,” “Wind for Me,” “I’m Lovin’ You Tonight,” “Move Your
Body Like a Snake” and “House Party” were just a few of the songs he passed through.
He then cued the first of three video segments. They were cheesy – and provided no added value to the show itself- but his diehard fans seemed to sincerely appreciate the insight.
They especially enjoyed the skit where Kelly simulates a meeting with his tour team and lets them know he’ll be encouraging the fans to let loose.
The second segment was a marathon of the select snippets of his slow-jams. He reached back to his days with Public announcement and carried fans through the biggest hits of his nearly 30 year career.
“12 Play” selections – “Seems Like You’re Ready,” “Your Body’s Callin’” “Bump N Grind” and the title track in particular – were among the best received. But each fan of the full house seemed to have had their own moment as he teased them with single verses, hooks, choruses and intro from a countless roster of his sexually charged ballads and mid-tempo cuts.
This particular portion of the show was almost an R. Kelly overdose thanks to the lack of focus and the emphasis on quantity instead of a masterful delivery on songs selected for maximum impact.
The show had grown boring until he repositioned himself to the middle of the arena for a brief set that included a tribute to Prince. Kelly declared that purple would be his favorite color from now on, played an excerpt of “Purple Rain” before dedicating “I Believe I Can Fly” to Prince’s memory.
He made his way back to the stage with a rendition of Sam Cooke’s “Change Gonna Come,” which teed up for a solid show closer.
Kelly definitely saved the best for last. In an iridescent tuxedo, Kelly’s final dish of The Buffet was decidedly more succulent than the rest of the show. A complete departure from the He returned to the stage with “When a Woman Loves,” which showcased his legitimate talent as a crooner.
It was a huge departure from the remainder of the set – where Kelly kept it classy as he continued on with “Happy People” and “Step in the Name of Love.”
As he continues to shape the show, he should consider narrowing the focus of the show – hopefully into something that looks more like his grown and sexy incarnation that he closed the show with.
