The rapper was there for the seventh show of Missy Elliott's Out of This World Tour, and the production definitely lived up to its moniker. It's the first-ever headlining tour for Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott, who brought together the star-studded opening lineup of Busta Rhymes, Timbaland and Ciara — all musicians she has collaborated with extensively since breaking into the music industry in the late ’90s. And while these artists' careers were at a peak in the early 2000s, the notion that this was a nostalgia tour quickly dissipated when faced by the sheer talent and dedication of the hip-hop purveyors. They're as relevant as ever. While the audience was already primed for a good time, the obvious fact that the openers were also having the time of their lives enhanced the vibe, with the hype growing and building up to the ultimate crescendo, when Elliott took the stage. Timbaland started off the night at 6:55 p.m., delivering a set of hits, before Ciara took our breath away with a stunning performance that included an array of indomitable backup dancers; just looking at them could make you break a sweat, especially considering that they were mostly dancing on a ramp that's as slanted as the GA lawn at Fiddler's Green.
"What's really special about this place — I gotta say this, it's important for me to let you guys know how much we love you," Ciara, who is married to former Broncos QB Russell Wilson, told the crowd. "We've had some really amazing experiences here: I got to see the Nuggets win the championship for the first time right here, got to see the Avalanche win a championship, too."
She went on to shout out her family members in the audience, before noting the "most important" part: "I had a baby right here in Denver, Colorado."
Missy Elliott and Busta Rhymes have worked together for decades.
Derek Blanks courtesy of LiveNation
Declaring the scene a "hip-hop party" — which it most certainly was — Busta Rhymes ordered us all to put our hands up. In fact, he told us to do it so many times it started to feel like a high-intensity-interval-training class. But that adrenaline pump was necessary before the crowning moment of the evening: Missy Elliott.
Screens surrounding the stage revealed 3-D effects of a Millennium Falcon-esque spaceship landing, from which Elliott ostensibly emerged in a sparkling orange and white tracksuit and helmet while dancing around the stage. As the arena went dark for a moment, bobbleheads of Elliott in space helmets appeared on the screen as an alien-like voice addressed the crowd over the speakers: "As we get ready for take-off, please make sure your lace-fronts are fastened tight. We are expecting some turbulence as we pass Planet Sock It to Me and Planet Lose Control."
"Can we pass Planet Get Your Freak On, too?" an Elliott head interjected, while another added, "Can we show the Earthlings how we flip it and reverse it?"
And oh, she showed us. Kicking off the set with "Throw It Back," she made it seem as if Ball Arena was hosting an early-2000s VMAs performance (the most iconic era for the awards ceremony). The entire production was masterful, not just because of the music and the artists, but the mind-blowing choreography and breakdancers, high-energy pageantry and costume changes, pyrotechnics and more. (We can only imagine the budget, but every cent was well worth it.) From each song and extravagant costume change to the next, it became more and more apparent how Elliott's music and collaborations shaped a generation of club-goers and hip-hop artists. The set list comprised 26 songs, and every single one made for a memorable moment, but a highlight was "Work It," when Elliott, wearing a neon-print ’90s getup with a fuzzy hot-pink hat, went into the crowd, traipsing between screaming fans, hugging them, rapping into the phones that followed her every move.
And it was refreshing that there was no faux walk-off before the encore. Each opener joined Elliott on stage, and the camaraderie and friendship among them all was crystal clear while Misdemeanor performed such collaborations as "Up Jumps Da Boogie" with Timbaland, "Touch It" with Busta Rhymes and, of course, "Lose Control" with Ciara. As the show closed out, the screen cast a stream of words similar to the opening of Star Wars movies, reminding the audience that they were back on planet Earth. The final message was a supplement to the overwhelmingly positive air in the arena: "Love one another."
And if that weren't enough, earlier in the evening, Busta Rhymes had reassured the crowd with a beaming smile: "We will be back."
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