Lizzo Live at Moody Center
Few words can capture the experience of a Lizzo concert. Moody Center erupted with color and sound as she took the stage, with an all-female full band as well as a DJ.
Ready to Love was at the top of the set, several songs early on segued seamlessly and showcased Lizzo's power and range as a vocalist. The crowd dance and sang, reflecting back the stage's energy with rapt applause and participation.
As with most international class production, the show's sound and visuals were polished; frequently brought to focus around Lizzo's attitude and individuality. Her personality was established as the foundation for this structure, but as the show went on, Lizzo became more intimate with the crowd.
"Hey silver dress!" she pointed to an audience member. "I see you there! You looking hot tonight; don't hurt nobody!"
Between songs, Lizzo began occasionally calling out to fans individually, acknowledging them. This practice continued until late in the show, at which point Lizzo literally spent a quarter hour seeing and acknowledging individual attendees. The production crew responded in support, putting each fan and friend up on the screen when Lizzo called out to them.
After a few minutes, I realized the significance of what Lizzo was doing: she was power sharing.
There is something deeply spiritual about seeing and acknowledging someone. There she was, one of the world's biggest pop stars, at the height of her career, calling out to strangers. She was acknowledging them, complimenting their style and individuality.
It was and is very clear that Lizzo is on a mission to serve and share with the underdog.
"I'm a big black girl from Houston," she reminded us. "You can take the girl out the Yee Haw, but you can't take the Yee Haw out the girl!
Lizzo also rocked the flute, giving her street credibility with the live music capital of the world.
As an iconoclast, Lizzo shatters social molds to inspire her fans by being unapologetically herself.
I found it necessary to examine myself. How many of my judgements, especially judgements of myself and my appearance physically, come from advertisers? How often am I mean to myself because of the attitudes I was taught by a society that does not love itself? My own mind has been infiltrated and used against me, and there was Lizzo, helping me to fight back by becoming more kind.
"Be kind to one another, and especially," she said, "Be kind to yourself!"
