There’s a certain rhythm and repetition to touring. A certain predictability at times too.
But of late, I’ve been impressed by Rihanna’s ability to alter that rhythmic predictability of touring to recreate her live performances to deliver a show that’s unique for each audience.
And depending on her audience, surroundings and technical difficulties Rihanna I’ve also realized that each of these three performances should come with a PG, R-rated, and a watch-out-for-real-Fire Bombs-in-the-lighting-rig warning.
First, here’s the R-rated version of “Skin” that happened during a show on her current tour, during which Rihanna gives a female fan a lap dance and then disappears underneath the stage as the crowd howls and cheers. This video mashup of Janet Jackson vs. Rihanna certain puts everything in perspective too. Rihanna certainly isn’t the first one to do this and she definitely won’t be the last.
And then here’s a PG-13-rated clip from a recent appearance Rihanna made on the Today show.
It’s amazing to see how the fan clearly wanted more from Rihanna then she was willing to give. The fan reaches out and grabs Rihanna before she can get to the stage, but Rihanna doesn’t miss a beat and keeps right on towards the stage. Maybe this fan saw the Skin performance and wanted the same sexy treatment?
And then on Friday night (video above), a fire broke out in the lighting rig before a concert at the AA Center in Dallas. Fans were quickly evacuated and the concert was cancelled and reschedule for a later date.
Which Rihanna Will Show Up?
Whichever Rihanna shows up or whatever strange things happens when she performs, these three moments make me wonder about our recent exploration of concert fan emotions and expectations, especially women.
Will fans on the next tour stops expect lap dances and real fire bombs? And which Rihanna will show up? The PG or the R-rated one?
How About Tracking Fire Bombs In Our Minds And Hearts?
I know that in other music fan experiments, the testing usually takes place in a controlled laboratory at Harvard or some other scientific location. And during those experiments trained researches hook up MRI and other brainwave and heart-reading machines to monitor the impact of the music on the fan’s mind and heart.
But what if we were able to hook up a MRI machine to Rihanna and the lapped-danced fan. Would they show the same results as if in a closed laboratory?
Would we be amazed if we could get a real-time MRI glimpse at the heart and mind of Rihanna and this fan as these moments were unfolding?
What would we learn and discover about the real-time emotions of concert fan and artist if we could see such a thing live during a concert projected on a screen for everyone to see?
We’ll continue to keep an eye on the rest of Rihanna’s tour to see what else happens and see if another version of Rihanna is revealed.
Step Up To The Mic
Were you at any of these Rihanna shows? Have you seen her live before? We invite you to share your concert experiences in the comments below, so they can be included in a future episode of Live Fix Radio.