Beyoncé's Cowboy Carter Tour stop in Washington, DC was a sight to behold
Photo provided courtesy of Parkwood Entertainment
By Bridget Arnwine
Videos are circulating around social media that capture moments between individuals experiencing unknown hardships and friends who show up at their doors, unannounced yet eager to be there for their friends. The videos are often emotional as the friend experiencing hardship is often overwhelmed by the kindness and generosity of their friends. It’s never revealed what walks of life the friend group comes from (whether they’re wealthy, middle-class, or poor), or whether they’re experiencing challenges of their own. All that’s shared is that they are there, and their presence brings an overwhelming joy to the friend in need.
A few days ago, less than 12 miles away from Northwest Stadium in Landover, MD, members of Congress filled the halls of the U.S. Capitol building and passed legislation that would see 16-17 million of our nation's constituents lose health and food assistance benefits in favor of tax cuts for our nation’s millionaires and billionaires. It was a move that sent shockwaves and feelings of hopelessness to those who depend on those benefits and to those of us who simply care. So when Beyoncé stepped on stage at Northwest Stadium on the 249th anniversary of this country’s independence, to perform music rooted in Black Americana, unity, and determination, with a bottle of her Sir Davis whisky in hand, c’mon in, girl. America has a problem.
Photo provided courtesy of Parkwood Entertainment.
She opened the show by performing the lead single on Cowboy Carter, “American Requiem,” and ended the night with the finale “Amen.” America has a problem, indeed. The songs that flowed in between were enhanced by the theater captured on the big screen that dominated the stage behind her. Powerful images of musical legends that shaped Beyoncé’s artistry and career filled the screen along with personal moments from her life, blurred images of critics of her work, and calls for revolution. It also featured imagery of Beyoncé moving about as a fifty-foot woman, but that’s a subject for another article.
The concert tour eponymously named after Beyoncé’s Grammy-winning Album of the Year and Best Country Album, Cowboy Carter, offered a night befitting a 4th of July celebration. There were flags a-waving, confetti raining, Riiverdancing, children slaying, horseshoes flying, lights shining brightly, crowds singing loudly, Rumi waving, Blue Ivy serving, a mother beaming, an icon being, and one golden bull. For two hours and forty-five minutes, Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter offered the SOLD-OUT crowd *cough, yes, sold out* at Northwest Stadium the greatest escape from a world that had seemingly gone mad. She moved through songs featured on the Cowboy Carter album as well as other songs from her largely celebrated discography including songs like “Formation,” “Crazy in Love,” “Diva,” “Love on Top,” “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on it),” “Irreplaceable,” “Daddy Lessons,” and several tracks from her 2022 project Renaissance, like the world was her stage and it made for a magical evening. Oh, and does Blue Ivy’s fan base, also known as the Ivy League, accept members over fifty? Asking for myself. Aside from Beyoncé, her presence was a major plus of the night.
Although the tour is in support of Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter work, what became clear as the night progressed was that the Cowboy Carter Tour was about more than a moment or proving that she belonged in the world of country music. The Cowboy Carter Tour was about Beyoncé, the person. It’s about her showing up as herself, even if others think she should move differently. It’s about standing firm in who she is without seeking permission and allowing those around her to do the same. It’s about making room and taking up space. It’s about honoring her culture while acknowledging how she and music in general were shaped by the innovations of our ancestors. It’s about redefining what it means to be a patriot while also standing proudly in the fullness of her blackness. It’s about what it means to be so big that she’s different from many of us, but she willingly shares music and images of herself with the world that speak to her humanity and our sameness.
The Cowboy Carter Tour in all of its splendor was one of the most well-rounded concert experiences a spectator could ask for, but no one should expect anything less from Beyoncé. Love her or envy her, Beyoncé has been a symbol of excellence in the music industry for as long as she’s been a part of that world. What makes her great is not her beautiful vocals or the soulful way she moves through choreography. What makes her great is that it’s obvious that she sings because she loves it, and that love spreads to all those who stand in her wake.
The Tour and Beyoncé the entertainer can best be summed up by a poem titled “Remembered Music” written by the 13th Century poet the diva and her husband, hip-hop’s biggest icon, rapper Jay-z, named their seven-year-old daughter after. In the poem, Rumi says:
'Tis said the pipe and lute that charm our ears
Derive their melody from rolling spheres;
But Faith, overpassing speculations bound
Can see what sweetens every jangled sound.
We, who are parts of Adam, heard with him
The song of angels and of seraphim.
Our memory, though dull and sad, retains
Some echo still of those unearthly strains.
Oh, music is the meat of all who love,
Music uplifts the soul to realms above.
The ashes glow, the latent fires increase;
We listen and are fed with joy and peace.
What a gift to behold.
The Cowboy Carter Tour will be back at Northwest Stadium again on Monday, July 7th.
