While some JC students were attending the final school performance of “Singin’ in the Rain” on Nov. 4, I was standing outside of the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia waiting for superstar Justin Bieber to arrive. Bieber’s stop in Philly was only the 24th concert of his worldwide Believe Tour that started on Sept. 29 in Glendale, Arizona and will end on March 5 of next year in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. As a follow up to his chart-topping album “Believe” that released on June 19, Bieber has made a reputation for himself that proves he really is a serious and maturing artist. With an array of memorable songs and an electrifying performing spark to match, Bieber gives his concert-goers a positive experience that they will never forget.
Fans, more commonly known as Beliebers, were already lined up against the fence near the parked tour buses when Allison Runk, class of ’12, and I joined the group at 2:20 p.m. We fit right in with our purple t-shirts that read “Maryland Belieber” in gold and silver paint and Justin Bieber duct tape that we placed on our jeans to spell “JB.” Bieber’s tour bus finally rolled in around 3:30 p.m., causing a continuous chant of “Justin! Justin!” Although the crowd was standing in 45 degree weather, their spirits were not dampened. Bieber finally emerged from the bus at 4:50 p.m., quickly hurrying inside the venue as we all screamed with joy watching him, even if for only a few moments.
Inside the arena, a sea of purple shirts was all the eye could see. The merchandise stands were swamped with Beliebers wanting to buy everything under the sun with their idol’s face on it. Prices ranged from $35 for a t-shirt to $60 for a hoodie, and $100 for a jacket. By the end of the night, every item was almost sold out.
Carley Rae Jepsen then opened the show with her song “Over You” off her new album “Kiss.” Her voice sounded good, especially when she acoustically sang “Almost Said It.” During “Heart is a Muscle” she talked to the crowd and got them involved by having them wave their lighted cell phones and glow sticks in the air. None of her songs got the crowd more excited than her hit “Call Me Maybe.” She even picked a member from the audience to briefly sing the tune with her.
At approximately 8:14 p.m., a countdown clock appeared on the screen, telling the exact second when Bieber would hit the stage. Of course, screams were belted out because he would begin in less than 10 minutes.
At 8:24 p.m., the room went dark and the audience immediately erupted in high-pitched screams that would cause anybody over the age of 65 severe hearing loss. A short video played introducing the pop phenomenon and with every second that passed, the screams reached a higher decibel.
The big screen split into two, and right in the center was Bieber, suspended in air with a giant pair of silver angel wings. After he descended to the ground and was unharnessed, he slammed into his song “All Around the World.”
Bieber smoothly transitioned from one song to the other, frequently talking to the crowd and building their excitement. Special effects were rampant with planned out music videos showing that corresponded to each song. Although he performed most of the songs from his new album, his fans were enthralled when he sang his more popular tracks from previous albums My World and My World 2.0 such as “One Time,” “Never Say Never,” “Somebody to Love,” “Eenie Meenie,” and snippets of “U Smile” and “That Should Be Me.” Following tradition, Bieber’s team also picked a random girl out of the audience so he could serenade her with his romantic hit “One Less Lonely Girl.”
Later Jepsen was brought back out one last time to sing “Beautiful” with Bieber. Afterward, Bieber told the crowd that since he tries to change up his set list every now and then, he wanted to do a special song for us. Almost as a flashback from his days on YouTube, he began to cover “You Got It Bad” by Usher.
One point in the show involved Bieber standing on a lift hovering over top the crowd. For this, he stood solely with his guitar and played “Be Alright” and “Fall.” He showed his wide array of musical skills at this moment and also by playing drums at the end of “Beauty and A Beat” and then playing piano during the closing song “Believe.”
Just when it seemed like the mania was over, Bieber popped out from under the stage for an encore of “Boyfriend.” Lastly, he sang his most famous song, “Baby,” after asking the question “who wants to be my baby?”
Bieber is truly a good entertainer, even if you aren’t into his music. Looking back, I now realize how much he has grown as an artist since seeing him at the Maryland State Fair on Sept. 5, 2010. He hadn’t made it big yet, and he just sat there with no special effects and little dancing, just his instruments and voice. However, throughout the Believe Tour show, Bieber was confident and energetic, showing that even though he is only 18, he knows exactly what he’s doing. His singing was very polished and his dancing looked natural and was in sync with the rest of his dancers.
Many still think that Bieber will just fade away and be only another teen heartthrob, but he continues to prove them wrong with his momentous success. If you are still a skeptic, just give him and his music a chance and he will make you believe.
Lauren Fabiszak is an In-Depth Editor for the Patriot and jcpatriot.com.