Once upon a time in 2016, I lost my my mind and bought 8 tickets for my sisters, little cousins and close friend to attend the Beyonce Formation Tour in Chicago. Yesterday March 5th, concert dates were posted on ticketmaster for a joint Beyonce and Jay-Z " tour then promptly deleted in within the next 30 minutes. Is it a sign? I absolutely think so. Read this all the way to the end for a surprise!
Beyonce snatched all our edges when she dropped her single "Formation" back in February of 2016. After her "electric" performance at the Superbowl (excuse me, "BEYONCE-BOWL") where the commercial after the show announced that she was going on tour, I think the world might have stopped right then and there!
Almost immediately my youngest sister Charity (who is also a card carrying member of the BeyHive) called me on the phone crying, laughing and gagging all at the same time and I joined right with her!
"It was pretty much nonverbally settled then and there that we would be going to the concert- I'm still not sure how the other 6 tickets got into my cart but alas, it happened."
Pretty soon it went from being your standard "rah- rah" Beyonce concert (which is no shade at all to Queen Bey); to a sister-cousin road trip that brought us girls together from Detroit, Alabama & Philadelphia.
Let me tell you, it was a party! We had so much to celebrate; one birthday, two graduations, my dream job promotion, and overall success!
To make it extra special for the girls, I was able to get personalized t-shirts made up for the day of the concert, I planned for my friend Aziah to come do the girls makeup before the show and even managed to snag 3 coveted nail appointments for them with the world renown nail artist, Spifster. We were prepped and ready to slay!
Since I knew there would be 6 of us in the room, I started looking for accommodations that would comfortably fit us all. When you are traveling with a large group of teenage girls, space is essential; amenities like an indoor pool and free hot breakfast are just as important. Luckily, I was able to find all of this and some at the SpringHill Suites Downtown/River North.
This two room suite had literally EVERYTHING we wanted (including a FULL KITCHEN) AND it was in centrally located near the best restaurants, stores, nightlife and tourist attractions. To put the cherry on top, this room that ended up housing 7 of us (my aunt stayed as well) was only $140 a night! If you are ever in the Chicagoland area, be sure to check them out and let them know I sent you:)
To prep the girls for the show I called up my girl Spifster, a world renown artist and nail tech to hook the girls nails up "Formation" style. To me, Spifster's nail art is as much of a Chicago staple as Giordano's pizza and Garrett popcorn. I have supported her art from its very early stages and everytime I am in the city, I ALWAYS try to get an appointment- but she is usually booked for a week or more! To get more info about Spifster and book her services click here!
Since I attended school in Chicago, anytime I go back to the city it's like a big reunion with my college friends, many of which still live in the Chicagoland area. This time around I was lucky enough to be able to link up with three of my girlfriends. My homie Aziah, who was my roomate senior year and known on campus for having a beat face at the most random times, came to the hotel before the concert and helped the girls with their makeup and hair.
As Aziah was getting us in Formation, we had the Beyonce music videos in heavy rotation. Let me tell you, this girl had my babies faces beat to perfection!
She gave each of them special attention and made each of them feel like the Flyy Girls they were born to be.
My friend Carla also linked up with us and joined me on the floor (Row 7, Seat 2 to be exact) for the Formation Tour. In addition to being one of my other college roommates, Carla is also the successful business owner of Popped Handmade, a company that specializes in natural skincare products and the best body butters around.
What more can be said about Beyonce? She was amazing. The show was phenomenal. The level of energy and stage presence that she commanded was second to none. Her dancers, graphics and pyrotechnics were flawless and whats more- I had the opportunity to see all of this upclose and personal from the 7th row!
I don't think any other show will ever be able to beat this performance; to be honest,I'm not sure that I want it to.
"Representation and mentorship are extremely important for young girls of color. Positive examples of women that look like them, that came from the same place and circumstances that they did but yet still beat the odds, are crucial to an adolescents success. This kind of interaction is truly the best motivational tool anyone could give to a growing girl."
The day after the concert, the girls and I went to brunch at the Chicago Diner, with another one of my college friends, who I also grew up with, Charity. The Chicago Diner is a EXCELLENT vegetarian/ vegan spot on the North end of the city. Their food was AMAZING.
Charity had just recently graduated from the Harvard University School of Law the year before and was at the time practicing law in the city. She shared some of her experiences and struggles both in undergrad and law school with the girls and really encouraged them to continue to do well in school and follow their dreams. They left brunch inspired about their future and motivated to go back home and make moves.
"That very next summer, my sister Charity applied for and was accepted to the Harvard Summer School program, which has opened so many doors for her. Debra and Miracle are excelling at Temple and Hampton University respectively; Destiny was just accepted to the Harvard Summer Program and my cousin Messiah continues to be great at whatever she puts her mind to.
"REPRESENTATION AND MENTORSHIP MATTER!"
All in all, my girls and I had a blast. What I remember most is not all the money spent, but the memories made and relationships forged. Family is everything to me and I was happy to be able to share my love for Beyonce and Chicago with my young Flyy girls!
While I don't think Beyonce tickets will drop today, I do believe that a concert/tour/Beyhive pilgrimage is in the works. Dates and prices will be dropped soon and I will BEY ready and you should too! None of us know when the tour dates will drop- but it is an experience that I ABSOLUTELY plan to share with a couple lucky members of the #FlyyFam...
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