R. Kelly tour stops at Columbus Civic Center Thursday night
According to a concert review in the St. Louis American newspaper, R. Kelly’s The Buffet Tour 2016 is rightly tagged.
“Although named after Kelly’s latest studio album, the concert was a buffet in the literal sense in that it provided a smorgasbord of the singer’s R&B hits,” the article said.
And Kelly has produced a lot of hits since he released his debut album in 1992.
When his tour stops at the Columbus Civic Center Thursday night, fans can expect to see the popular performer, who has sold more than 100 million records, do numbers such as “Bump N’ Grind,” “Sex Me,” “I Believe I Can Fly,” “If I Could Turn Back the Hands of Time” and “Happy People.”
The Chicago native has been nominated 25 times for a Grammy Award and has won three. He has received six American Music Awards.
Last year, Billboard compiled its list of the 35 greatest R&B artists of all time. Kelly was ranked No. 15, putting him ahead of legendary singers such as Beyonce, Issac Hayes and Barry White. Topping that list was Michael Jackson.
Billboard said Kelly is “adept at shifting effortlessly from party into spiritual mode.”
Going further, Billboard said, “Kelly’s sinewy vocals and confident swagger coupled with his skills as a songwriter/producer have made him one of R&B’s most successful stars.”
When his latest album went to No. 1 on the Billboard R&B/Hip Hop charts, it was Kelly’s 12th time doing so.
A lot of costumes and special effects are used during the show. Miami New Times newspaper said in a review that each R. Kelly show “feels largely like a Broadway production.”
And there is humor to go along with the music. The review said there is “no shortage of the goofy ad libs Kelly has become famous for.”
“I’m extremely excited to head back on tour and see all of my amazing fans. The Buffet Tour is one you don’t want to miss. I’ve changed everything for this tour including the stage setup. Plus the production is crazy,” Kelly said when announcing the tour that began in Cincinnati, Ohio, on April 21.
Larry Gierer: 706-571-8581, @lagierer
If you go
What: R. Kelly The Buffet Tour 2016
When: Thursday at 8 p.m.
Where: Columbus Civic Center
Cost: Tickets are $77.50 and $52.50. The box office will be open at 10 a.m. until showtime. Telephone number for the box office is 706-653-4460. Tickets may be purchased by telephone at 800-745-3020 or online at ticketmaster.com. There will be a $5 parking fee.
This story was originally published June 14, 2016 at 3:52 PM with the headline "R. Kelly tour stops at Columbus Civic Center Thursday night."