I could insert any number of cheesy phrases here such as “I had a feeling, that tonight was gonna be a good night” or “Boom boom pow! That Black Eyed Peas show was amazing!” but that would only degrade how great the show actually was. Black Eyed Peas are nothing short of pop megastars right now, with four of the songs off their new record selling extremely well and playing throughout every major sporting event across the country. Paired with a superstar in his own right, Ludacris, this show was set up to not only be something special, but easily one of the biggest tours of the year. The question though, is when the rubber met the road, was it really all it was cracked up to be? I’d definitely say so. It exceeded my expectations, which were already pretty lofty.

LMFAO were the first group to take the stage. While I wasn’t particularly fond of their music, they did a nice job of setting the pace, getting everyone on their feet, and warming up the crowd for two big acts that were to follow. I can only imagine what it must be like for them to tour around with Black Eyed Peas and Ludacris. I see it as a blessing and a curse. It would be tough to compete with two huge acts like that, especially if concert goers show up late and miss half of your set. On the flip side though, it could also be a shot of adrenaline to your success. Touring arenas with two big names like that will get you lots of exposure.

As I said, they did a nice job of getting everyone on their feet and active. All of their songs are very upbeat full of energy. If you came to the show because you like a fusion of hip-hop and pop, then chances are you liked LMFAO, since they were a nice blend of both genres. Only time will tell if they are about to be the next big thing, or another one-hit-wonder, soon to fizzle.

This man needs no introduction, and could have easily been headlining this very tour five years ago. Between songs from his own albums and featured tracks he did with other artists for theirs, Ludacris has a huge selection of hits to pull from that easily exceeded the time he had for his set. Nearly all of the audience knew most of his songs and were singing/rapping along to hit after hit.

Ludacris aka Chris Bridges has been taking it easy on rapping lately and pursuing a career in acting, doing nine movies in the last six years. During that time, while he may have fallen outside the radar for music buffs, he was still very active in the celebrity scene. With two singles coming out in the last couple months, and this tour with Black Eyed Peas, it looks as if he is on the rise again.

With will.i.am and Fergie each having successful solo careers during the group’s downtime, Black Eyed Peas has almost become a supergroup of sorts. Fergie had a ton of hit songs off her solo album, while will.i.am just had his big screen debut in X-Men Origins: Wolverine. On top of their strong solo careers, the Black Eyed Peas’ lastest album, The E.N.D. (The Energy Never Dies), has exploded on the charts, earning them Grammy awards, performance spots on Oprah and the Victoria Secret Fashion Show, and making them easily one of the biggest artists of the past two years.

It’s no surprise that the Black Eyed Peas put on an amazing concert. As teased in their performances on various shows, they had extremely elaborate costumes, lighting, dancers and stage design, which turned out to be the full package. Fergie at times looked like she was channeling her inner Lady Gaga; having an elaborate transforming mirror dress that sprawled in every direction, while will.i.am channeled his inner masquerade with various masks he wore throughout their set. Overall, not only did they put on a great show, but they seemed to love what they were doing. It’s always nice to see the artist enjoying themselves, and really helps to get the crowd to enjoy themselves as well. As will.i.am said (paraphrasing), “We have never been to Kentucky before, but after seeing how crazy and fun you all are, I’m sure we will be back soon.”

Following the Black Eyed Peas show, and an after party meet-and-greet, will.i.am headed over to Buster’s Billiards & Backroom, a bar/club and music venue about a block away from Rupp Arena on Manchester Street. Although he is known for his role in Black Eyed Peas, and as the mastermind behind the tracks on their albums, he has a passion for DJing. When time allows, he will do DJ sets at local clubs and venues. As he said following his set, “That other stuff I do is fun and all, and how I make money. This though, is what I love to do.” It was definitely more than just a hobby for him. He strung together an amazing line of beats and tempos into his own masterpiece. He spun some remixed versions of Black Eyed Peas songs, doing his own vocals when the parts came, and even premiered a new song they are planning on releasing in the future. One of the members of LMFAO joined him on stage for a couple remixed versions of their songs, as well as some freestyle scatting to some of the beats. It was a real treat to see will.i.am in a more intimate setting, doing something that you could tell he really enjoyed.

Although the night was long and I didn’t get home until well past my preferred bed time, it was definitely one to remember. There were huge scaled stage shows by some of the biggest artists out there today, and a small, intimate DJ set by a passionate mixer. I have no problem sacrificing a little shut-eye for something like that.

Blogged by: Paul Hooper
Photography by: Matt Goins (unless stated otherwise)