Show/Venue: The 727 Tour at the Ford Amphitheatre at Coney Island
Date: Tuesday, August 2nd, 2016 @ 7pm
Starring: Fifth Harmony, Jojo
Website: http://www.fifthharmony.com
Ever since I watched Camilla, Normani, Lauren, Ally Brooke and Dinah Jane come together as Fifth Harmony on the US Version of The X-Factor, I was hooked. As my roommate at the time can attest to, I listened to Reflection all the time, with several songs on repeat. Through the hooks of “Worth It” and “BO$$” and the samples from some of my favorite 90’s artists, I couldn’t get enough of this girl group. When 7/27 got delayed, I was a bit disappointed, but “Work From Home” was that ear worm, always stuck in my head when heading into work (Rihanna, who?)!
I decided it was worth the one hour and some change trek to Coney Island to see the girls perform, plus Jojo was the opening act! The newly refurbished Ford Amphitheatre is right on the Coney Island Boardwalk and next to the ocean. I was worried about getting sunburnt in the heat, but luckily the venue is covered and the breeze from the ocean keeps everything nice and cool.
My usual concert routine involves scoping out food options, merchandise and then finding my seat. Since I went to this show alone, I figured I could take my time getting settled. I thought there was only one merchandise stand near the entrance, but someone on the staff pulled those of us in the back of the line to another booth on the other side. The bonus? A shorter line and some of the Fifth Harmony parents were out on that side, taking photos with fans (a.k.a. Harmonizers).
Jojo opened the show, and most of this crowd was too young to remember her teenage hit, “Leave (Get Out)” but I remember it fondly. She came out in a sheer black maxi dress with a blue & green sequined varsity jacket, that I immediately coveted, and helped wind the crowd up. Followed by “Too Little, Too Late” and a few other of her older hits, she then went into some new songs, as she was finally released from her old contract and can finally put out new music! She ended her set with “Fuck Apologies,” her new single, and it’s damn catchy.
Finally, the girls came out in black bodysuits and knee-high black boots to “That’s My Girl,” and the crowd went wild. I immediately wanted to be friends with the teenage boy a few rows infront of me who was dancing and singing along to every lyric. (I love that this song was later used in a USA Gymnastics video during the Olympics, showing the girls training at camp.) Followed by “Miss Movin’ On” and “Sledgehammer,” I was impressed with how fast the words came back to me, as I was singing along, but had not listened to either of these albums in some time. The girls did a great job of dancing and really belting live during “Reflection,” although it always feels awkward to me when Lauren is dressed up too sexy. I just remember her being a bit nerdy on The X-Factor, but she manages to pull it off.
In the next set, “This Is How We Roll,” “Scared of Happy,” “Write On Me” and “I Lied,” the girls took the opportunity to focus less on dancing and more on vocals. For one of my favorites from 7/27, “Write On Me,” they sat down on the bleachers and sang. I love the lyrics in this song and all the clever ways various versions of writing are alluded to in it. There were a couple times when Camilla seemed to be disconnected from the rest of the group, physically and mentally. She recovered later, but I bet this is what sparks rumors that she’s leaving the group.
For the next costume and set change, the girls put on bright red bodysuits and brought out red metal chairs to match. I didn’t know “Big Bad Wolf,” but lots of the other fans did! That led right into “BO$$” and got the crowd moving before “Not That Kinda Girl” and “All In My Head (Flex)”. I put up a short video of the chorus dance sequence from “Not That Kinda Girl” and it quickly had over 3,000 views on Instagram. I tried to capture a moment where they did almost a tribute to New Kids on the Block with their pendulum dance from “The Right Stuff.”
The show ended on a high note with “Worth It” and “Work From Home.” They brought out all the stops and any nervousness from Camilla was completely gone by the encores. Assuming that they don’t break up, I would easily go to another Fifth Harmony show! Even going by myself, I had a great time! Everyone’s dancing was on point and I was really impressed with their live performance. This just proves that we need more girl groups around again!
Musical Numbers:
1. That’s My Girl
2. Miss Movin’ On
3. Sledgehammer
4. Reflection
5. This Is How We Roll
6. Scared of Happy
7. Write on Me
8. I Lied
9. No Way
10. We Know
11. Dope
12. Squeeze
13. Big Bad Wolf
14. BO$$
15. Not That Kinda Girl
16. All In My Head (Flex)
17. Brave, Honest, Beautiful (Acoustic Version)
18. Gonna Get Better
19. Voicemail
20. Worth It
21. Work From Home