Source: Courtesy of Badu World / Tony Krash
When I first heard of Erykah Badu’s Unfollow Me Tour, I questioned the name. Who in their right mind would want to unfollow the poetic enigma who single-handedly changed the music game with her distinctive voice and self-healing messages? Ain’t nobody unfollowing you, sis.
But as she stood onstage at the beginning of her packed concert at Madison Square Garden this past Saturday, she explained the reason behind the name. She is participating in the human experience just like everyone else. Her journey is unique to her. And following her won’t get you closer to your purpose. That explanation set the tone for what I was about to experience.
The Badu Experience
Source: Courtesy of Badu World / Tony Krash
If you believe in aliens, unicorns, and life in other dimensions, you’ll want to add Badu to your concert lineup. Watching her perform is like observing water flow in a river. She glides through each song, occasionally stopping to engage with the audience. There, I learned about the range of generations who came to get spiritual healing through the Badu Experience. Fans from the 60s to the 00s screamed with excitement when she mentioned their decade. Her music transcends generations.
Badu asked the crowd who was attending her show for the first time. Shamefully I raised my hand. “Let me tell you the rules of the Badu Experience. Ya’ll can sit down for this because it’s important,” she told us.
“Keep in mind I’m an artist, and I’m sensitive about my shit,” she said before giving an overview of her show.
Source: Courtesy of Badu World / Tony Krash
Badu’s mezzo-soprano voice glided through euphoric octaves as she belted out hits from her various albums. The crowd ate it up.
I swear I saw my ancestors singing along from the front row. Afro-spiritualism was at the core of each performance. From the way she graciously swayed her hips to the beat of the drums to the dulcet chats between songs, Badu let us into her ritualistic world via concert. It’s as if she were singing and dancing alone under the moonlight, and we were the lucky spectators.
The Grammy-award winning artist continued to glide and twerk through each song, as the crowd belted out lyrics as if their lives depended on it. The Unfollow Me Tour is a healing experience. From the empowering lyrics that remind you of your power to the comedic interludes that advise you to mind your business because its good for your soul, everyone needs the Badu Experience.
Midway through the show I texted my friend saying, “you definitely have to see Erykah Badu live!”
She replied, “Girl I’ve seen her several times live! The best!”
“So I’m the one tardy to the party,” I replied.
“Lol. I literally try to go every time she’s in the city or close,” my friend said.
Spoken like a true veteran of the Badu Experience.
Future Unfollow Me Tour dates
Badu’s 25-city tour kicked off on June 11 in San Antonio, Texas. Yasiin Bey (also known as Mos Def) is the opening act. Her remaining tour locations are:
July 11 – Newark, NJ – Prudential Center, July 12 – Norfolk, VA – Chartway Arena, July 13 – Washington, D.C. – Capital One Arena, July 15 – Atlanta, GA – State Farm Arena, July 16 – Charlotte, NC – Spectrum Center, July 18 – Nashville, TN – Bridgestone Arena, July 19 – Birmingham, AL – Legacy Arena at the BJCC, July 21 – Memphis, TN – FedExForum, and July 23 – Dallas, TX -American Airlines Center.
If you haven’t had the Badu Experience, then visit the Unfollow Me Tour website for more information.
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