It was so good I almost went twice. Kelly Rowland and Terius Nash (better known as The-Dream) started their Lights Out Tour at Silver Spring, Maryland’s legendary Filmore two Sundays ago and fans packed the house to hear old favorites from each artist along with new tunes from each of their upcoming albums.
On Tuesday, The-Dream released IV Play, his fifth studio album, which boasts collaborations from Kelly, Beyoncé and Jay-Z. I was personally excited to see him perform; Nash, who’s more popular for co-writing hits like Rihanna’s “Umbrella”, has archetypal hits of his own. Love King and Terius Nash: 1977 got no love but Love Hate & Love vs. Money are constantly in rotation (for me).
Kelly Rowland was excited to perform three new tracks from Talk a Good Game (due to release on June 18th) including the controversial single written for her by The-Dream: “Dirty Laundry”. She didn’t preface it with any insight. While critics have swirled accusations that the song is Kelly’s admittance that she’s jealous of former girl group co-member Beyoncé Knowles, some would insist that Kelly is instead using the song to show fans a more susceptible side of her artistry. In either case, she made it through most of the song before stopping. [Cue tears here.] She wrapped up the hour+ of her segment with a medley of hits by Destiny’s Child and finally, “Like This”.
“The concert was very fun,” said Washingtonian Anthony Vereen. “It was great to hear The-Dream and I appreciate Kelly showing the crowd her more vulnerable side.” The decision to tour together was a natural and uncomplicated one, according to The-Dream. The twosome, who are as close as siblings, brought great energy to Filmore. Kelly and The-Dream left the DC-Metro area, taking their show to Baltimore, Boston and then to New York City last night. If they make it to a city near you—check them out!
-Brian Riddick
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