The question is not if I will attend a Beyoncé tour stop, it is where. Presales and queues in the tens of thousands for tickets don’t deter me. I am going to see that lady. The Cowboy Carter Tour was also non-negotiable because it was my mom’s first Beyoncé concert. The entire group, exclusive of the author and Beyhive veteran, were new to the Beyoncé live experience. Cowboy Carter is a pretty good place to start.
Post-Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé (2023), my mom simply stated she wanted to go to the next tour. Challenge accepted. If you tell me you want to see her, I take that seriously. February 2nd: “Beyoncé is going on tour, you said you want to see her.” She was a tad noncommittal at first, we were already going to see Mary J. Blige, but I paid her zero mind. Trust the process, like Mexico for my 30th birthday.
Camp Alotta Fun commandeered my summers, Cowboy Carter is a major upgrade in comparison. 10 days later, as with the Renaissance World Tour, Verizon came through with tickets and we moved into the outfit phase. Again, my mom attempted unruliness. “I’m not a cowgirl!” Ma’am most of us aren’t but we can appreciate Western and/or country style.
While I opted for orange and fringe, I sent my mom more traditional options. As a highly practical person, she decided on all denim that she could wear again, jeans from her closet and a new shirt. Silver jewelry complemented the indigo dye after she realized she’d parted with almost all her turquoise. That is quite a loss, she had good stuff!
Remember her “I’m not a cowgirl!” declaration? She dropped that when my aunt and cousin brought her a light blue chambray hat with rhinestone fringe, silver boots, and a silver fan. I can always count on them to encourage a look and possess the appropriate accoutrements. For someone who was hemming and hawing, my mom certainly found the spirit.
On show day, my strict departure time of 4:00 p.m. became 4:45. No problem though, my dad took group pictures under the Japenese maple tree in the front yard. We had to mark the occasion! The only real concern was rain, I would take almost anything over rain. Blessedly, this was the first time Beyoncé and I have been in an open stadium together and the sky held her water.
For the uninitiated, the Beyoncé show experience can be overwhelming. I had not accounted for that because I’m always bursting with joy. The main “COWBOY CARTER” emblazoned merchandise truck with a quarter mile long line, multiple smaller merchandise trucks, Cécred tents, and people streaming in from every imaginable paved walkway around Soldier Field. Mommy looked a bit frazzled as I got in the merch line; to ease her mind I sent two tickets to her concert buddy so they could head inside for snacks and seats.
With merch and our snacks in tow, my concert buddy and I headed to our seats to find our companions seated but snackless. Hunger on the car ride couldn’t beat sitting down and avoiding lines. Unable to abide by this, my buddy and I passed our snacks over and went to get a second round. Everyone needs to be nourished before the lights go down, I’m not moving once Giselle emerges from under the stage.
At 8:23 p.m. the lights went down, and the crowd began a collective roar. She comin’! At the MJB concert, my mom found out that people tend to stand the entire show. She still doesn’t understand why. For Beyoncé, she was a trooper and lasted for the first 20 or 30 minutes. Contentedly, she watched the show via the massive screen whenever she needed a break. I did get her back up for “Protector” and she popped up unprompted for “Cuff It”, “Texas Hold ‘Em”, “Irreplaceable” and “Single Ladies” with the hand choreo!
There’s something indescribably special about seeing your favorite artist with your mother beside you. Aside from my mom and I, Bey and Ms. Tina, and Bey with Blue and Rumi, I wonder how many other mothers and daughters were in attendance. I do know that my mom was entertained, enthralled, and amused the entire show. She was singing along, waving her fan, dancing, and giggling throughout. The videos I took of her are highly amusing, she’s so cute. I’m grateful for no rain and that everyone had a good time. Back at the car, I told my mom that she survived her first Beyoncé concert to which she agreed. She spent the following day on the couch recuperating.
She should be well rested by 2027 when we do this again for Act III.
