BOXSCORES
Date: Saturday, August 5, 2006
Venue: American Airlines Arena - Miami, FL (Live Nation)
Gross: $1,074,620
Attendance/Capacity of Building: 13,156 / 13,156
Sellout %: 100%
Ticket Price Range: $129.50 - $19.50

Opening Act: Busta Rhymes

01. It's Like That
02. Heartbreaker
03. Dreamlover
04. My All
05. Honey
06. Breakdown
07. Shake It Off
08. Stay The Night
09. I'll Be There
10. Fly Like A Bird

---"B" Stage:
11. Fantasy
12. Don't Forget About Us
13. Your Girl (Snippet)
14. Always Be My Baby
---End "B" Stage

15. I Know What You Want (Snippet)
16. I Wish You Knew (Snippet)
17. Thank God I Found You/Make It Last (Snippet)
18. One Sweet Day (Snippet)
19. Hero
20. Make It Happen

--Encore:
21. We Belong Together
22. Fly Away (Butterfly Reprise)

From Miami Herald: Mariah Carey shines as tour opens in Miami

The Mariah Carey saga is one of the most intriguing stories in pop-music history: After riding her five-octave voice to become the best-selling female performer of the 1990s, she suffered a spectacular public meltdown in 2001.

The songbird signed an $80 million deal with Virgin Records, but quickly sabotaged her success by posting suicidal messages on her website, appearing on MTV's Total Request Live dressed in a T-shirt and nothing else, and starring in the universally ridiculed movie Glitter. Virgin ended up eating $28 million of her contract just so she'd go away.

Carey's personal life never dipped so low as that of her diva rival Whitney Houston, but until last year's chart-topping comeback album The Emancipation of Mimi, Carey had become a laughingstock in the music business.

Saturday night at downtown Miami's American Airlines Arena, Carey showed a near sellout crowd that she and superstardom definitely still belong together. This kick-off date of her Adventures of Mimi tour had plenty of glitter, but only the good kind.

The only negative was the hourlong wait after opening act Busta Rhymes energized the already packed house -- but Carey's fans didn't seem to mind. Just before 10 p.m., the crowd roared as a radiant Carey, classy, composed and in complete control, kicked things off with her lively new hit It's Like That.

Unlike her 2000 tour, which opened with a 10-minute video featuring Carey's evil twin Bianca, who tries to hurt the ''good Mariah,'' her Mimi show emphasizes substance over inane skits. The sequined singer -- even her microphone was decked out in matching sequins -- took her adoring fans on a tour through all her biggest hits, including Dreamlover, Honey, My All, Shake It Off, Fly Like A Bird, Fantasy (during which she ventured out into the crowd), Thank God I Found You, Hero and her soaring cover of The Jackson 5's I'll Be There.

But she wasn't done: For her encore, Carey came out in a sparkling ''Miami blue'' dress she said she bought especially for the Magic City and closed with a bang, singing her monster hit We Belong Together and Butterfly -- a fitting ending that represented her metamorphosis from washed-up diva to reborn superstar.

Busta Rhymes was a fitting warm-up, performing Give It To Me (his duet with Mariah) and peppering his rapid-fire rap set with shout-outs to Don't Cha (his hit with the Pussycat Dolls) and the Red Hot Chili Peppers' Give It Away.


From Palm Beach Post: Mariah Carey concert hits sour notes

Here is a life lesson Mariah Carey apparently missed during the Adventures of Mimi: the harder you try to make people like you, the less they will.

It's understandable the Glitter-girl has some issues after being criticized, ostracized and written off for forgotten in the past few years. But those critics were not among the fans who paid from $19.50 to $129.50 to see her show at the American Airlines Arena on Saturday night.

The fans wanted to watch the diva resplendent in high notes and high heels, basking in the glow of her deserved and surprising comeback. They wanted to see Ms. Mimi singing her heart out, not ceding the stage for up to 10 minutes at a time to let DJ Clue spin other people's hits like it's a South Beach club.

They wanted to hear her breathe new life into the 17 No. 1 hits that rank her second to only the Beatles.

She's too talented, too successful, too weighed down by Grammys to be anything but a star on stage. But on the first night of her tour, she opened her set with a video of a roller coaster and a monologue about the ups and downs of life. She apologized repeatedly for minor gaffes in the act, such as sipping water and asking that the fans be turned on and the music turned up.

She showed video skits of women trash-talking her in a club, and then in a toilet stall.

News flash, Mimi. No one cares anymore. Your life is on the upswing. Forget the story line so we can concentrate on the good times.

The music stands for itself. She took us back with Always Be My Baby and Hero and Dream Lover and her Jackson 5 remake, I'll Be There.

She kept us going with chart-toppers from last year's The Emancipation of Mimi album, Fly Like A Bird, Shake It Off, We Belong Together and, the opener, It's Like That.

And the audience especially liked it when she relocated from the stage to a platform surrounded by fans on the floor. She looked poised and confident ó so close, riding the range of her vocal skills. Her smile looked genuine.

It was all about the music.

The show didn't end until close to midnight, largely because it took Carey almost an hour to get on the stage after Busta Rhymes finished his opening set. The break was so long, in fact, that the distracted stadium completed 7 1/2 revolutions of the wave.

Busta, whose career has lasted almost as long as Carey's, was an entertaining opener with everything from Scenario, his 1992 duet with A Tribe Called Quest, to his 2003 hit with Carey, I Know What You Want.


From Calendar Live - Los Angeles Times: Emancipation Elation

Mariah Carey's 'Adventures' tour showcases a well-toned and well-honed talent. By Ann Powers

MIAMI - Mariah Carey has an unusual body for a modern-day pop goddess - voluptuous and solid instead of willowy and elastic. It's a singer's body, not a dancer's, built to house the multi-octave pipes that have allowed the 36-year-old singer to rule the radio dial for 16 years. Carey showed off that body, toned and tanned, at the opening Saturday night of the North American leg of her tour. At American Airlines Arena, she was swathed in artfully cut out chiffon gowns and sequined hot pants that Ann-Margret would have enjoyed in her prime and used a burlesque dancer's straight-back chair, a winding staircase and other props to prove that she could move those long legs and that curvy torso.

But Carey never let choreography get in the way of what her body was there for: to help her sing in ways that have, as she said with a modest shrug near the end of the 90-minute-plus concert, "changed people's lives." No one works as hard to balance inspiration and flash as Carey, who started her career selling the ageless appeal of pure vocal prowess only to sustain it by turning herself into a trend-savvy hip-hop home girl. This new production - entitled "The Adventures of Mimi," in reference to her multiplatinum 2005 album, "The Emancipation of Mimi" - seeks to meld the uplifting Mariah and the modish one by surrounding a traditional prima donna's turn with the accouterments of urban music. There were acrobatic dancers; video clips of rappers with whom Carey has collaborated, such as Jay-Z and the late ODB; and references to milestones in her transformation from girl next door to hot mama, including the sailor suits of her 1997 video for "Honey" and the video catfights of her "Heartbreaker" era (the clips now featured assert she's grown beyond all that). Her mixmaster, the eminent DJ Clue, was the night's most prominently featured musician. In the end, though, flowing gowns and sequins won out over booty shorts, which was wise, since it's the warmth she brings to awe-inspiring glamour that makes Carey's fans love her.

From the moment she entered in a black bikini with boy-cut bottom and a chiffon cape, offering up her trademark high notes and striking poses with her masked male dancers, Carey treated the evening like a qualifying round that she was determined to win. Preoccupied with the inevitable glitches of a fledgling tour, she revealed her emotions through a running patter that could have seemed neurotic but actually served to create intimacy within an otherwise dauntingly big-scale event. It's an old showbiz trick to interrupt major production numbers with asides that humanize the goings-on, and whether that or basic nerves motivated Carey's asides, it worked: When she did stumble, as on the unusually challenging mix of big dance moves and rapid-fire vocalizing during the reggae-inflected "Shake It Out," it made the show feel alive, not unprofessional.

Some elements will surely be tightened up as the tour commences toward the West, where it concludes in October. DJ Clue's expert spinning got the party-hearty Miami crowd hopping during costume changes, but the frequency of these intermissions affected the night's pacing. The dancers haven't quite figured out how to assert themselves within a show inevitably ruled by Carey's voice; unlike most of today's concert spectacles, this one was best when the interplay was limited to the singer and her sympathetic backing band (Carey's musical director, incidentally, is that singer's champion, "American Idol's" Randy Jackson). Especially satisfying were the duets Carey shared with backing vocalist Trey Lorenz; when these longtime singing partners traded high notes on the ballads "I'll Be There" and "One Sweet Day," Carey really eased into her performance. She was happiest simply expressing her gifts and, in doing so, allowing her fans to consider their own perhaps unemancipated potential.

It's a function singers have served at least since the coloratura came into style in opera — the female voice, reaching far beyond the confines of ordinary speech, carries the listener beyond the humdrum of her daily imaginings. As Carey put it in the song she described as the most personal on her latest album, great singing makes the soul "Fly Like a Bird." Carey's Miami audience, a wide-ranging mix including grade-schoolers with their parents, South Beach clubbers and pregnant women with husbands in tow, grooved to DJ Clue's beats, but they really got excited on the midtempo numbers whose climaxes gave Carey room to soar. When Carey moved to a small stage mid-arena, she got the crowd climbing on seats, not to check out her "Charlie's Angels" sunglasses but to cheer her holding one last note on the poignant "Don't Forget About Us" until it seemed like she would break.

She never broke, no matter how fretfully she muttered about not being able to hear the band or apologized for taking sips of water. Like the silver-screen queens she admires, Carey's not just a femme fatale but also a trouper, and her years of delivering hits, even with a midcareer dip, have resulted in hard-won consistency. On this anxious night, she proved herself a solid talent and was best when she allowed herself the pleasure of her own strengths.

Busta Rhymes, one notable rapper with whom Carey once dueted, opened the show with a strong, funny set that betrayed not a bead of worried sweat. Delivered with the assistance of a sparse crew (one other MC and a DJ), the voluble Mr. Rhymes flirted obscenely with women in the front rows, pulled out hits from his long career and relentlessly plugged his new album, "The Big Bang." It's too bad Carey didn't invite Rhymes to share in her set's rendition of "Give It to Me," the song they recorded together; it could have made for another fun, relaxed moment. But perhaps the rapper had found and fled with another female friend by that point.


From Hollywood Reporter: Time to Fire the Stylist

MIAMI - Somewhere along the line, someone in the highest echelons of the music business apparently told Mariah Carey that a tight red jewel-encrusted leotard with a lampshade-style fringe-skirt was a great idea.

The so-bad-it's-good diva act tends to work best when a costume is genuinely imaginative, it fits spectacularly, and the star is in on the joke (Cher, Madonna). Carey, on the other hand, seems to have no idea how ridiculous her progressively more tawdry array of bedtime attire has become -- and how sadly it all detracts from the things she does well. After all, she can actually sing.

Carey's 2005 "The Emancipation of Mimi" was a Grammy-winning, multi-platinum chart-topper through which she reclaimed her career while displaying a level of authority that had eluded her in recent years.

Yet onstage Saturday night during the first show of her new concert tour at the American Airlines Arena in Miami, her message to fans seemed to have almost nothing do with "emancipation" or "strength" or "growth" -- or any of the token buzzwords associated with a woman who has recently broken free from whatever it was that was keeping her down.

Rather, this is a show about stripper poles and dangerously high stilettos, hot pants and hair extensions -- all of it thrust onstage in a way that says, "Unless you're naked and grinding up against something, you're nothing."

And to look at the many female fans on hand (young teens to roughly early-30s), also spilling out of their lingerie, shiny gold bikini tops and micro-minis, it seems this is a notion that some women clearly want reinforced by a superstar.

When the show finally began, about an hour late at 10 p.m., there were rappers and dancers, moving staircases, blinding lights, an audio/high-def-video assault, several incoherent short films and a DJ -- all heaped on top of an essentially standard diva extravaganza (i.e., sing song, change outfit).

Those who unwittingly came for an evening of innocuous pop quickly realized that they have not been keeping up with the times. That Mariah -- the one who sang such hopeful songs as "Vision of Love," "Emotions" and "One Sweet Day" -- disappeared a long time ago.

Still, there were glimpses of that performer during such confections as "Dreamlover," "Heartbreaker" and "Fantasy" -- and also during a stellar cover of the 1970 Jackson 5 hit "I'll Be There," a hit for Carey in 1992.

With her wide-ranging vocal ability, Carey, now 36, certainly could have taken the standard pop singer route -- aging up to adult contemporary status, then following Celine Dion over to Vegas. Instead, she's won praise for becoming a singer who mixes it up on songs such as "We Belong Together" and "Say Somethin"' with freestyle producers and rappers like Snoop Dogg.

It works for her and the fans who adore her. Let's just hope all those 15-year-olds remembered to change clothes before they got back home.

Bottom line: Time to fire the stylist.


From Sun-Sentinel: Adventures of Mariah

Carey's comeback tour is a major improvement over past performances.

Mariah Carey has given her fans every reason to jump ship and every reason to keep paying attention. The pop singer's crackup of a few years ago -- a perfect storm of bad career choices and personal trauma, complete with rumors of a suicide attempt -- could have turned her into a cautionary fable. Instead, the movie-musical Glitter and related disasters became the setup for her triumphant return.

The back-from-the-brink storyline has become a part of the Mariah show, no less than the well-received music on her latest album, The Emancipation of Mimi. Carey, 36, acknowledged as much on Saturday at AmericanAirlines Arena in Miami, opening night of a tour dubbed "The Adventures of Mimi." Between songs, Carey starred in a video sketch in which a group of catty clubgoers spots her at another table and, not quite out of earshot, dredges up the tabloid details of the last few years.

The newly emancipated Carey declines to take the bait. But she made a better case for her recovery by singing. Live performance has not always flattered the best-selling female artist of the 1990s. Her rambling, borderline bizarre concert at this same venue six years ago was, in hindsight, a warmup to her troubles. For all the arena-shaking power of her voice, Carey has often seemed oblivious to the basics of timing and song choice.

Saturday's show wasn't entirely free of those tendencies. Carey didn't come on until almost 10 p.m., nearly an hour after a lively opening set by rap star Busta Rhymes. But she sang robustly for a capacity crowd, worked well with her eight-piece band and chose most of her material smartly. She opened with an upbeat trio of hip-hop-flavored songs, It's Like That and remixes of Heartbreaker and Dreamlover.

The rap cameos on Heartbreaker -- from Jay-Z, Missy Elliott and Da Brat -- were in the form of video footage. Carey, her band and her production crew had no trouble integrating these pre-recorded audiovisual tracks into the live mix.

The show's biggest surprise was an appearance by r&b singer Trey Lorenz, Carey's original duet partner on a 1992 cover of the Jackson 5's I'll Be There. That hit recording came from a seven-song EP, MTV Unplugged, one of the brights spots in Carey's thin concert history. Carey and Lorenz sang it again on Saturday, not quite as vibrantly as they had 14 years ago, but still with a likeable warmth. Lorenz joined the back-up singers for one of the concert's best moments, a soaring version of the Mimi album's jazz- and gospel-tinged closer, Fly Like a Bird.

The only obvious stumble came late: Make It Happen, a motivational song, was oddly low-key and not the rousing pre-encore finish it was intended to be. But the comeback single We Belong Together made for a strong and nicely symbolic encore.


From MTV News: The Voice Outshines Costume Changes, Video Clips

Miami show shoots for spectacle, but Carey and her pipes are main attraction.

MIAMI — Opening night of Mariah Carey's Adventures of Mimi: The Voice, the Hits, the Tour could have been subtitled The Videos, the Costumes, the Waiting. But when Carey set aside the spectacle to focus on her music and reach out to fans, she hit her stride - and those high Cs.

It could have been first-show jitters, but on Saturday night, the singer seemed preoccupied at the start of the concert - as if she forgot that the reason her fans had gathered (some from as far as Portugal and Peru) was to hear her sing, not to see how many outfits she could squeeze into. Carey's backup singers and dancers carried on while she changed, DJ Clue tried to keep the momentum going, and Spike Lee (via his mini Mimi movies about all the rumors and gossip the singer is always facing) tried to distract from the fact that for chunks of the two-hour show, Mariah was onscreen, but not onstage.

Perhaps her fashion-minded fans didn't mind - after all, Carey did show off a lot of skin, wearing a black bikini with a cape, two different gowns with exposed midriffs, and a metallic red burlesque number that lent itself to lots of straddling poses behind a straight-back chair during "Breakdown" (see "Mariah Turning Into Superhero, James Bond On Upcoming Tour"). But it wasn't just Carey's cutout gowns that had something missing - being offstage for 10 minutes at a stretch meant the set list also got the cutout treatment, reducing several songs to snippets.

On a duet with her backup singer and fan favorite Trey Lorenz, she didn't have time to sing the entire "One Sweet Day" with him so they started the song at the bridge. And though Carey claims "I Know What You Want" - her hit with opening act Busta Rhymes - she didn't seem to know that that the crowd wanted was to see them perform the song together. Busta had included the song in his set, exhorting the ladies to sing Carey's part, and teased that he'd be back later. But when it was Carey's turn onstage, she opted to have the rapper "appear" via the music video they shot together in 2003. Jay-Z, Jermaine Dupri and the late Ol' Dirty Bastard also participated in much the same manner during "Heartbreaker," "It's Like That," and "Fantasy," which was more understandable - especially in the case of ODB, who we hope is in rapper's heaven - but Busta?

Carey was clued in that her fans wanted to hear a lot of inspirational numbers, so she packed the set with "Make It Happen," "Fly Like a Bird" (which came with a backing choir), and "Hero," which she said wasn't planned, but so many people had told her it had "changed their lives," that she "can't do a show without it." Those are all big numbers, and no one sings big better than Mariah - she hit all the high C notes with ease - but it was when she brought the show down a notch halfway through the set that she seemed happiest.

Standing on a platform in the middle of the floor seats, Carey was able to reach out to the fans and they to her. One girl even threw her purse to Carey as an offering — whatever happened to the days of bras and roses? As if in exchange, Carey tossed her sunglasses out to the sea of grabbing hands. "I'm in the middle of the people," she said, amazed, as if to herself. Though "Don't Forget About Us" and "Always Be My Baby" are meant to be love songs, she sang them as if they were love letters to her fans, sending her dancers away so it would be just her and her adoring public for a moment. "We didn't really rehearse this," she apologized, but having a spontaneous moment was exactly what she needed to get back on track.

While all the glitz and glamour of the lights, the dancers, the video screens, the costumes, and the confetti are what we expect from a diva of Carey's stature, it's something far less extravagant that her fans wanted - all they could talk about while filing in and out of the venue were the songs. It sounds simple enough, but Carey doesn't let it be simple - not when she can make holding a note, as she did in the encore of "We Belong Together," a major accomplishment. Clutching herself tight as if she could bottle it up inside somehow before she had to ultimately let go, she found her release, her purpose. "I didn't make it easy," she said, after letting the last strain fall away. And if it were easy, no one would be in awe that despite everything else - first-night glitches, gossip and all - she nailed it.


From The Voice: Jasmine's Juice

"This is one singer who actually sounds just as amazing, if not better, live"

The phrase: "We came, we saw, we conquered," can now place a photo of Mariah Carey next to it in the dictionary because on August 5, 2006, MC proved that she has not only whipped her critics and detractors into place with her numerous number ones, won award after award in the past year and sold more copies of her latest album than ever before in her career. Now she's blown away her fans with her current live gigs... and oh-how she's doing it!

Her biggest, most doting fans queued up all night, so there were layers of fans 20 deep surrounding the Miami Arena hysterical with anticipation for the opening night of Mariah's Adventures of Mimi: The Voice, the Hits, the Tour.

It's been at least three years since most of the world saw MC perform live, so her fans came from far and wide - literally from all over the globe - and were on their feet all night.

Since Miami she's been on a steady roll around the US killing the audiences at every venue. Even when MC was around an hour late the fans were jumping up and down not caring.

The crowd was made up of every kind of person from every walk of life; kids, road boys, mums with toddlers, old folks, pregnant women, hip hop heads. You name it, everyone showed up.

After Busta Rhymes and Sean Paul warmed up the crowd for her on different dates, the crowd was so hyped they did Mexican waves the size of which a European fan like me has never witnessed.

When you go to an MC gig you're going as much for her sexy, provocative outfits as you are to hear her legendary vocals. On this show they both blow you away. There were enough clothes changes for a whole London Fashion Week.

But that didn't matter because as she ran off to slip into another saucy outfit, the girls giggled with delight at each new one while some of the boys got very hot and flustered watching her naughty looks. Her more than able backing singers and dancers entertained us with their unsurpassed skills. MC's dancers led by the wonderful choreographer Rachel McIntosh flipped and shimmied for all they were worth and had us whining around in our seats trying to imitate them (unsuccessfully).

MC's mate DJ Clue spun and mixed for all he was worth as MC stopped for mini breaks to change or catch her breath or take sips of water, which she felt she needed to apologise for. Why I don't know. Girl, we know you can't belt out those melodic tunes on pipes that are dry like the desert!

Randy Jackson, Mariah's musical director (and always has been, but in US is famous for his judging role of American Idol) was on hand to ensure MC's music was on point all through the show.

There were loads of musical high points during the show which showcased MC's vocal ability, and occasionally it seemed she would shatter with the hollering that was escaping her lithe body.

MC had her friends/featured artists on her hits, such as Busta, Jay-Z, Jermaine Dupri and the late Ol' Dirty Bastard join her via the technology of video clips onstage but it was director Spike Lee who swung it on home with a series of video clips highlighting the crap from the media and haters that MC always has to contend with - while MC just smiles as it plays.

A diva wouldn't be a diva without the long, 007-style gowns and MC's were put together by stylist June Ambrose who called in hot looks from every designer who wanted to dress MC. Ultimately, however, the clothes were made as one-offs. The outfits were untouchable and while the press may have just showed the public shots of MC in batty rider shorts, let me reassure you that the gowns and sexy dresses were much more dominant in this show than hot pants.

She not only managed to run on and off stage in a variety of outfits but her singing was complete with all the vigorous stamina you'd expect from her. This is one singer who actually sounds just as amazing, if not better, live.

MC recreated the Lady Marmalade vibe with her perfectly natural curves in a metallic red burlesque costume as she straddled and worked a chair so hard it practically melted under her, and rolled through hit after hit as the night sped past.

If older fans were worried she would only bang out the old tracks they were pleasantly surprised as she worked in every hit including Dream Lover, Honey, My All, Shake It Off, Fly Like A Bird, Fantasy (during which she ventured into the crowd), Thank God I Found You, Hero and her cover of The Jackson 5's I'll Be There.

We can only pray that after its US and Asian run it will finally make its way to Europe. You know if you want it you gotta demand it readers. Holla at MC on her site now.

By Eddie (Moosic1112):
First off, she surpassed all my expectations of the show and her. The concert was phenomenal and outstanding. From her flawless voice and the hits, to the ensemble changes and of course, "Mariah"... what could go wrong?

Well, from where I was seated I was actually where DJ Clue was hanging out before the concert. Because I had aisle seats. So, he was kind enough to let me take a photo w/ him. But, Mariah's tour manager was too busy for a photo. Same w/ Benny Medina and Randy Jackson. But, oh well! It was still worth trying.

The show started late w/ Busta opening up. And he really got the crowd on their feet w/ his classics and hits. I especially loved when he did I Know What You Want. He was on stage for a good amount of time. And I could see behind the curtain that they were still in the process of setting the stage up. So, I knew it was gonna be awhile.

But, finally the time had come. And Mariah was greeted onto the stage by thousands of screaming adoring fans. It was an incredible feeling that I will never forget. She definitely delivered and opened the show up w/ a big bang w/ It's Like That. And looked like a Super-Hero in that first ensemble. She looked beautiful. All the ensembles she wore were HOT TAMALE.

She followed that song w/ Heartbreaker. And still kept the energy up and alive. She then slowed things down w/ the first ballad of the night w/ My All. And her voice was just impecable. I think it's in the best shape she's ever had it in. She seriously tore this song up. And of course followed the end of the ballad into the dance mix and kicked up the energy level yet again!

I would have to say that she had everyone screaming when she hit those high notes for Dreamlover. I thought they sound out of this world on her records... you've gotta hear her hit those notes live. It's something you'll never forget. She had such incredible control, ease, and power w/ all these songs.

She then performed the song Breakdown and did the cute little dance number she did for the actual video. It was so cute! I loved that part of the show. She was having a lot of fun w/ this one.

She followed w/ another Butterfly hit Honey. And also performed afterwards Shake It Off. Which as you've probably seen from the video and pics... She had a huge MIMI sign that was shinning through out the song. It was so cool! She then performed another ballad Fly Like A Bird. And hit every note! I was surprised she didn't have the choir out on this number.

She then changed and comes back out and did Stay The Night and it was incredible. That was a definite surprise for me to hear her sing that. I really enjoyed that number. She then followed that number w/ I Know What You Want.

She then came from the side entrance which was right by me. And I was literally 10 feet away from her while she was walking down the aisle to the center stage on the floor. And the fans were going crazy at this point. While she performed Fantasy, Don't Forget About Us, Always Be My Baby, and Your Girl (snippet)... the fans were going crazy especially if Mariah was looking in their direction or just waved. It was funny and amazing at the same time. I loved the Disco Ball that comes out during Don't Forget About Us. She ripped this song to shreds. She really nailed all these songs.

She then had a ensemble change and came back out w/ a surprise song I Wish You Knew. And came out hitting those high notes. That was probably one of the high lights of the show for me. Because she really sang in that song. She followed that song by doing her next song Hero explaining to everyone that there's not one concert she can't do this song at. And how personal the song is and still is. She belted that song and really got a thundering applause from everyone. Then she had her songs w/ Trey. Which got everyone excited! Especially through I'll Be There. And others Make It Last and One Sweet Day. Trey was telling everyone how it's the longest running #1 single and till this day has never been passed. And Mariah jokingly said that he always knows all these facts and stuff about her.

Finally Mariah got the concert bumping again when she did this next number. Everyone was out of their seats screaming and clapping along the whole time. I really enjoyed this song. It was definitely a moment that stands out from last nite! The choir even came out and backed her up.

Then I guess a lot of people wanted to get out early to aviod as much traffic as possible and they started to leave. And some people thought the concert was over. But, mostly everyone stayed and gave Mariah a standing ovation and thundering encore applause. And Mariah came back out and closed the show w/ We Belong Together and rifted and belted her way through the entire song. She nailed it! And knew it! Also knowing that she gave an amazing concert! It's the best concert I have ever been to.

The concert ended w/ of course the Butterfly Outro. And tons of pink and purple butterfly's came out shooting into the audience.

Lastly, anyone going to the shows on the tour... You will not be disappointed in any way. It's going to be an unforgettable nite and ever-lasting memory.


By Aladerri:
I had a great time at the concert. Mariah was great, she had a very long concert. According to the set list off the floor I got, she'd perform:

--Your Girl
--Always Be My Baby
--I Know What You Want
--DJ moment 3 (Mariah change)
--Film Clip 3 "She ain't black"
--I Wish You Knew
--Thank God I Found You/One Sweet Day/Can't Take That Away
--Hero
--Make It Happen (MC changes for encore)
--Vision of Love
--We Belong Together
--Butterfly Reprise

But it was not really what she did, she didn't perform "Can't Take That Away" and some others.

It was a great concert, lights, set, choreography, dancers, everything! She did 3 songs on the 2nd stage among those "Dont Forget About Us" and she gave her sunglasses to the fans. Some lucky fan must be happy tonight. She had like 8 changes and was all over the stage, and yeah she did run like she does, it was so cute. I personally enjoyed the show and I am sure you all will too.


By greeklamb:
Last minute I decided to fly to Miami and catch Mariah's opening concert. I was lucky enough to find a ticket(not through the venue). I was at the side of the stage and I took some videos and some pics but it wasn't until "We Belong Together" that I managed to sneak down to the front row of my section and take some awesome pics!! I will post some when I return to Chicago!!

By the way, she did not perform "Vision of Love" or "Anytime You Need A Friend" but was glad she did "Stay The Night." As for the surprise songs, they were "One Sweet Day," "Your Girl" (sample of it), "If Wish You Knew" (sample). Her performance of "Hero" was outstanding and so was "Fly Like A Bird." Some technical issues during "Don't Forget About Us" and she only performed three songs from the second stage: "Fantasy" remix, "Don't Forget About Us" and "Always Be My Baby."

She talked to the crowd many times and even said she loved being on the second stage since tha's where the heart of the people at. One thing that disappointed me was that there was no tour program. I was informed it will be available after her third show. (I will buy one in NYC). I think I was the only hardcore fan in my section but oh well I have good seats for the other two shows! I'll post pictures Monday!


By MizzMariahBFly06:
OMG OMG OMG I cannot believe that I can FINALLY say that I saw Mariah Carey LIVE LIVE LIVE In concert. Man that show was soooo amazing, worth every penny, every headache, every backache, all the months of waiting because seeing yah on stage like that, ripping it up, not missing a note or NOTHING is crazy!

Okay, I know I was supposed to do this last night, but ya'll understand that was my FIRST Mariah concert and I was sooo nervous and excited and this and that, and besides I didn't get home to 4am but that's a different story. Okay so let me give an overall review of the show:

Okay let me breathe cause I'm still here wilding over seeing Mariah. Ya'll may think I'm crazy but seeing her LIVE was a dream come TRUE.. and one day that I'll NEVER forget.

Okay so the lights get dark and everyone is chanting "Ma-ri-ah, Ma-ri-ah" and this little video thing started showing a rollercoaster ride and Mariah talking about how you can't be afraid to ride the rollercoaster and you have to face your fears and get ready for the adventures and bam! the lights go off. "It's Like That" starts And WHAM BAM THANK YOU MAM, there is Mariah on stage looking absolutely STUNNING on stage! The energy skyrocketed when Mariah started shaking what her mama gave her...LOL! Then she broke into the "Heartbreaker" Remix, and then slid right into the original "Heartbreake" ... FIRE!!!! I usually hate to see Mariah dance but SHE DID THE DAMN THING LOL. Then she went into "My All," and honestly NO joke, DIDN'T MISS A NOTE!!!! at all! Then she went right in to the "My All" Celebration Mix.

*1st wardrobe change - all white tuxedo skirt looking thingy, REALLY cute!!*

Next she went in to "Dreamlover" then Mariah got REAL ghetto LOL! While she's singing, she was like "Ya'll tell them to cut my fans on, please ya'll cut my fans on." It was sooo funny cuz she just like stopped moving and singing and said cut my fans on LOL. She like pointed the mic toward the crowd and said "Tell them to cut my fans on" lol. They got 'em on too.

*2st wardrobe change - cute little red "Tina Turner" like dress showing alot of GODDESS legs, she looked STUNNING!*

When the curtains opened up this time she was on stage doing "Breakdown" with Rachel and her other dancer and they were sitinng in chairs they had a really cute little dance rountine with the chairs and Mariah was like killing it (thats means doing really well lol) but on this one part they had to stand up on the chair and I was like "MARIAH PLEASE DONT FALL! MARIAH PLEASE DON'T FALL!" She went right into "Honey" from that once again PERFECT! Then she went into "Shake It Off" and the little "Mimi" light up sign, a smaller version from her video came down and Mariah came out, danced in front of it and yup, she killed that one too.

Here's where we see the first part of "The Adventures of Mimi" movies I think...or maybe it was before this but I'm not going to tell y'all about that. (see it for yahselves, but I loved it!)

*3rd wardrobe change - beautiful yellow dress, that looked stunning on her, but then again what doesn't?*

She starts talking to the crowd, and reading signs, and she takes these roses from someone in the first row only because "they matched her ensemble" LOL. She was talking really fast about how this is the 1st show, and she loves Miami, but she was nervous to do the 1st show here, then she reads this sign and is like "Ohh, y'all came all the way from Peru, that's dedication." She talked for about 2-3 minutes about how glitches happen like with the fans not being on and what not, and she runs and drinks water, and this part was funny because she sips the water and then does this little diva pose and sigh that everyone just started screaming about because she just looked to AMAZING when she did it. She says, "this is the most personal song for me off "The Emancipation of Mimi" and I scream out "Fly Like a Bird!" and BAM they start singing it, and in my opinion, one of the best vocals of the night, she hit EVERY NOTE and then some, I mean EVERY NOTE, that crazy high "Jesus" she does at the end SHE HIT! And NO, I don't think she lipped it. That song just like sent everyone into a frenzy cuz at the moment on that LAST note, I think everyone realized MIMI is the same as MARIAH. She just hit that damn note LIVE!!! Then she did "Stay The Night" and "I Know What You Want." "Stay The Night" was AWESOME!!! Hit every note. And she did a GREAT job of like working the stage.

*Okay part 2 of the Mariah files lol, and I knew right then that this is when Mariah was gonna be in the middle of the fans on her lil' platform stage because they started roping off the stairs that led to it and this was like mad close to me so I was freaking out*

*This also the 4th change, in to this cute little capris with butterflies on the back, a sparkly little bra thingy and a little jacket thing to go over it, and let me say Mimi had these cute shaed on that just made her look like a bad ass, but she was a cute bad ass*

So like this cool little beat comes on and I'm thinking she gon' pop out of the stage because it starts shaking lol, but she comes OUT THE AUDIENCE and walks right on the stagel. She gets up there and "Fantasy" starts and her dancers come down with her, and she's dancing and hitting the notes, and moving and keeping the crowd hyped by letting them sing parts. Then she starts talking, she says, "I wanna thank you, the fans, for making this song my 17th number one (I scream out DONT FORGET ABOUT ME). And this cute little disco lights start flashing and BAM Mariah tore that song UP. Excuse my language, but she song the @#%$ outta that song. SHE HIT THAT NOTE AT THE END AND I ALMOST DIED!!!! Whoever said she lost it is full of @#%$ she still got it, more then ever now!

Okay, then she starts talking again and she says, this next song that were gonna do was not rehearsed but it was a fan request, from a fan in another city that was a good friend of hers (she never said who) but she said, and its called "I Should Be Your Girl" and Rachel and that other girl dancer came out and she did a little bit of that, ENUFF to make it AWESOME for being unrehearsed, PERFECT! Then she starts talking to the crowd again and someone throws a bag or something on stage and shes like, "I don't want your bag" lol, and just starts posing at peeps and she's like, "oooooo that baby is sooo cute and I love you toos and whatnots and she's like, see this is where I love to be, in the middle of the real people lol. I thought this was so Mariah because there was like a spot light on her and she was like, "Ohhh I'm loving this light dahling, it makes everything feel so dreamy and she strikes another little diva pose LOL. The "Always Be My Baby" beat starts and I go CRAZY cuz that's one of my favorite songs, she only did the 1st verse, chorus and bridge, but once again she NAILED EVERY NOTE!! And she THREW HER SHADE IN THE AUDIENCE! This is her last song on the little platform. So she walks off while singing and walks right through the people, touching hands and gets back on stage. End.

*Okay 5th change - BEAUTIFUL like blue and aqua looking dress that is really just STUNNING, Mariah was working that thang and she knew it lol. This is also the last part of the Adventures video*

Here she talks to us, keeping us locked in her trance and then she does "I Wish You Knew" and she starts to do the little talking part but then stops and starts saying something about what she WAS gonna say lol, but once again PERFECT song. From here she goes into "I'll Be There" and she calls SEXY ass Trey to the stage, (He is FINE!!!) and they KILLED IT, Trey hit like this crazy high note and Mariah was "You better sing it boy" AWESOME! And Trey was like looking at the crowd like "do y'all believe she up here hitting these notes like this LIVE" AWESOME! Then she's like, "Miami, do y'all like my outfit?" She's like, "I thought you would guess cause the name of the color is Miami Blue." (it's amazing what people scream for, I mean I screamed too but you know lol). Of course she models it a bit lol then she starts talking about how the next song is one she didn't really care to much for until someone told her that the song had changed their life and WHAM The song that got me hooked on Mariah all those years ago, "Hero" starts playing (I'm crying) and Mariah sang this song like there would be NO tomorrow, I mean it was like an old classic performance from back in the day with the pureness and perfection of her voice and she went that "The Lord knows...." Everyone was just like quiet everyone wanted to hear, her voice was PERFECT and everyone was just like I can't believe this woman is like truly singing her heart out for us. Also one of the BEST perfomances of the night by far!!

Then she says, "this song is for all you out there that's reaching for a dream..." and "Make It Happen" starts playing and the crowd goes from that crying moment into that everybody jump moment lol, She KILLED IT!! and she brought out this choir of kids and they did the song with her and once again when she got the bridge, I was SHOCKED!!! Mariah sang her ass off!!!! Fah real and everybody was just feeling it.

Then she says this song, was one of my biggest number ones, I'm yelling out, "We Belong Together" but she starts singing "One Sweet Day" lol....AWESOME!!!!! She killed it. Then she talks about "Thank God I Found You." She calls Trey down again and they do this awesome little Thank God I Found You duet - KILLED IT AGAIN!!! That was a tear-jerker too. At this point, I'm numb to it and I realized that Mariah is TRULY like an ICON to me. This is when shes starts saying "I love you Miami. I want to thank each and everyone of you, I love you from the bottom of my heart." Really a 2-minute speech that came straight from her heart about how we've been there and how she's so blessed and it was just a watery eye moment.

"The MC sign moves apart, "We Belong Together" starts playing and out walks Mariah in this beautiful flowing gown that made her look like a little floating goddess and when I tell you this lady SANG THIS song, she REALLY sang this song, she like went and sat on the floor when she hit that last note and OMG! she never looked more beautiful and happy and she killed it! Then she stood up and just stood there for a minute like she was taking all the love in that room in and the "Butterfly" reprise started and once again she thanked all of us, expressed her love and gratitude, gave thanks to her band, her dancer, and back-up singers and once again just spoke from the heart while little pieces of confetti shaped like a butterfly floated down on us all while the song was playing, she blew us a kiss and then she was gone - leaving us all excited, happy and truly happy to just see her do OLD Mariah and New Mariah and maintain herself.

Leaving me feeling like the happiest person in the world, I never sat down in my seat, from 8:00 until 12:10 I was ON MY FEET. After waiting soooo long to see her, I couldn't contain myself I couldn't sit down. I had prayed and hoped I would she her and I HAVE! and she was AWESOME!!

Mariah Did an AWESOME job! Aside from her singing which was PERFECT and FLAWLESS, Mariah kept the crowd involved, she talked to us like she knew every single one of us, she acknowledged the signs, and flowers and teddy bears and everything. She worked the stage, from one end to the other, to talked to the people waaayyy in to the top nosebleed sections and danced! I mean she dropped it like it was hot literally. She has good moves!! She just made you feel like this was one big family and like we were all there having a big ole family reunion. And looked stunning like a beautiful princess. She did AMAZING! Anyone that goes to this show will see how. I'm more than sure I forgot to put a whole bunch of stuff in here but I'm still on this like MAJOR high lol.

She covered everything really, except for Visoion of love but really her setlist kept everyone HAPPY she went from old to new, to old again and she kept the ENERGY up, she NEVER looked tired.

ALL IN ALL a 5 star, BROADWAY, AWARD WINNING Performance. FA REAL!!!!


By Brendan (swiftymc):
We arrived in Miami at around 6pm. Got something to eat and then went to the venue. Got to out seats at around 7:45. Busta Rhymes came on and did his thang and was rather good. I enjoyed his part.

Mariah came on and seriously nailed every single song, every single note and every think she did, she did with style and class. She was incredible. She didn't not come on until 10pm. She played right to about 11:50. Almost total of two hours.

By the time we got out of the venue it was 12:15am. We went immediately around by her bus and waited awhile. Rain started to fall and then came more rain. Finally after about 2 hours of talking to Mariah's limo drivers, she came out with her security staff. She immediately went to go into her car (Benz) but after waving and all 9 or 10 of us saying, "pllllleeeease come over and talk to us," she decided to run over. Her security said no, no no, but guess what? Mariah did not listen and ran right over to us. She hugged us, shook our hands and chatted. She looked incredibly beautiful, words cannot describe how beautiful she is in person. This is my fifth time meeting her, and I cannot even begin to tell you how freakin' PERFECT this woman looks. Just absolutely gorgeous. We asked for pictures, and her security staff was very rude and kept saying no. At one point he even grabbed my arm and pushed me back... I was like, ummm not going to harm her... and she smiled and said I know honey... she then shook my hand and squeezed it real hard. She was so down to earth, yet again.

When she first came out and saw me, she said "hey you"... as if she remembered me. It was somewhat of an incredible feeling. After being told we could not take pictures by her bossy guard, Rob. she said, "Well, yes, how about a group shot?" LOL and he said no very sternly.... she continued to pose and I handed my camera to the other bodyguard and he snapped the picture. It was a great night. For it being 3am, and her being so cheery and nice and sweet to her fans - she is something else. It was special of her to do what she did last night. Not unlike her at all, but yet very special. A night I will truly remember all my life.


By Yanette:
I started to listen to Mariah's music back in 1992 in Cuba. I was working, selling Cuban cigars in La Casa Del Habano in Partagas factory and the first time her music came to me was because a customer brought me a CD and I thought that her voice was just out of this world. Then later, every time a customer asked me if I wanted to get something from overseas, I will ask for some more of her music.

Back then I said to myself if I could ever get out of this country I will for sure go see her in a concert... and my dream just came true this past Saturday. That was an incredible experience for me and my family, because now we have more fans in the family: my 4 year old daughter who already sings "Hero," my husband and my 2 year old son. We had a great night. She is a diva. And now after 11 years in this country, I can finally say that my dream came true!