On Sunday June 21 2015, Budweiser took over the New York City harbor in triumphant style to kick off its first ever Monument Series. Budweiser brought fans free epic music experiences with burgers and beers on Liberty Island and Governor’s Island.
On Liberty Island, R&B Queen Mary J. Blige broke it down and treated a hyped crowd to a career-spanning set with killer dance moves, powerhouse vocals, and had the concertgoers enthusiastically singing along to her “No More Drama” performance.
Reported by: Ken Simmons
Nine-time Grammy Award winner Mary J. Blige delighted an invitation-only audience with a free concert on June 21, 2015 at the Statue of Liberty. The performance kicked off the Budweiser Monument Series and served as a prelude to Jay-Z‘s “Made In America” concerts on September 5 and September 6, 2015 in Philadelphia.
“The Queen of Hip-Hop Soul” rocked Liberty Island with a one hour, sixteen song set spanning her 23 year career. Wearing a blue felt fedora with a black dress and black thigh high boots. Mary J. commanded the stage in royal fashion. Her many hits included “You Bring Me Joy,” “Love Is All We Need,” “Real Love,” “Be Happy, “Love No Limit,” and “My Life.” The Queen made the show a personal statement of how she’s learned to love herself without regard for her critics, exemplified by “Take Me As I Am” from her 2005, triple platinum CD, The Breakthrough.
Moving to the present and her latest CD, The London Sessions, Blige stated, “This is where I am now,” as she introduced the song “Doubt. “I’ve overcome everything,” she said proudly. “Push me down, I keep fighting. I keep getting up. I am courageous.”
Blige ended the night urging fans to make the show a joyous party, and she provided the music as the crowd boogied to “No More Drama” and “Family Affair.”
Just prior to Blige’s show at 9 p.m. on Liberty Island near the southern tip of Manhattan, T-Pain headlined the beginning of the two-part concert featuring Misterwives and Big Gigantic just a short boat ride away across the Hudson River at Governor’s Island.
As guests boarded ferries following the end of Blige’s concert, a fireworks show lit up the sky above the Statue of Liberty.
harlem2nippon.com 