The Single Ladies Tour: Dallas Show Review

The Dallas Morning News: Section 206, Seat 7: R. Kelly at Verizon Theatre at Grand Prairie 

He is who you think he is. 

A lot more, and a little bit less, too.

If any new Batman franchise exists out there (anyone? anyone?), R. Kelly could be a natural choice for the hero-villain Two-Face. All id and no guile, he’s completely sincere in his efforts to woo, tantalize, lift up and spiritualize. He’s confident in his ability to croon, make you swoon, make you drool and recognize.

He’s all-temperature R., a man for all seasons of radio. And he proved all that and more in his salacious yet spiritual show at Verizon Theatre at Grand Prairie on Thursday night.

I mean, this a show where a woman signs a waiver when she’s taken on stage. Really. Exactly what were they doing underneath that backlit curtain in that cage with those shackles? He’ll never tell, but imaginations run wild. Just make a wild, and I do mean wild, guess. (I work for a family newspaper, so that’s all you, honey …)

At one point, R. bellied up to one of the two bars with one of his backup singers and turned almost ten microphones toward the crowd, dubbing it “Kel’s Karaoke.” Ingenious, really. Remind people that you are there to give them a show that’s worth their money. And then make them sing your songs to you.

And that’s what the crowd’s cheers did, in essence, for the man who took to a throne near the close of the show. They serenaded the “Pied Piper of R&B.” What? You didn’t know?

Now you do.