Queens of R&B Hold Court at a Full PNC Music Pavilion
SWV and Xscape joined by MC Lyte, Mya, VanVan and others
If you were looking for an evening full of R&B music performed by some of the genres finest singers, you needed to be at PNC Music Pavilion on Wednesday. The Queens of R&B tour hit the Queen City with what amounted to an almost non-stop night of music.
Though it was scheduled to start at 7 p.m., Psyrin kicked things off more than 30 minutes early. The trio was followed by 15-minute sets from Jayye Michael and OMG Girlz. While the crowd filed in and started to get more active for a set by 702, it was Mya who got the sing-alongs truly going, starting with her performance of “Ghetto Superstar.”
However, the biggest reaction of the night might have gone to MC Lyte who joined the tour for only a few stops, Charlotte being one of them. Though not a singer, the rap legend had the crowd engaged, singing along and moving more than they had to this point, eventually drawing the largest ovation to that point.
Lyte’s set also included a one-off song performance from kid stars VanVan, who lives in Mooresville, and Heiress Harris who went viral on TikTok for their song “Be You.”
With the crowd primed, Total was up next for a 30-minute set of their own. However, the headliners put a cap on the evening with an alternating set that started with members of SWV and Xscape taking the stage together before alternating songs in a somewhat random fashion.
Having so many artists perform back to back with 5- to 10-minute DJ sets between them made the evening go especially quick. Love an artist? It felt like watching a highlight reel. Was an artist not your favorite? They were gone in short order. If only more genres regularly showcased their talents in such a collaborative effort.
Be sure to check out Queen City Nerve’s Soundwave, Charlotte’s most comprehensive live music listing, so you don’t miss out on any shows or concerts coming up. And hell, if you’re looking for something else to do, you can check out our events page as well, which runs the gamut of things to do in Charlotte. You don’t ever have to be bored again. You can check out more of Jeff’s pics and live reviews here.
