Terminal 5 // New York, NY // September 30th, 2021
Photos and review by Jess Williams
I pulled up to New York’s Terminal 5 on the evening of September 30th. R&B superstar Tinashe would be bringing her 333 tour to the sold out venue that night and fans were waiting in a line that wrapped down the street and around the corner, as far as my eyes could see. Fans were highly anticipating the evening and came dressed in show-stopping outfits filled with flashy accessories, fishnet and bondage clothing.
I got my credentials, slapped it onto myself and headed for the photo pit. This wasn’t my first time at Terminal 5 since live music returned, but it was the first time in a long time that I had seen that venue filled with so many people. Fans on the floor were pressed so tightly against each other, all hoping to inch their way closer to Tinashe before she took the stage. Looking up, I saw fans hanging over the second and third floor balconies, phones out, ready to capture the magic.
I stood in the photo pit awaiting Tinashe as the clock struck 9:30 p.m. The live band took to the stage and black curtains were suddenly removed from the floral covered metal structure that was placed center stage. From the darkness at the back of the stage, Tinashe climbed atop the metal structure and opened her show with “I Can See The Future,” off her most recent album, 333. The crowd was going insane. The level of screaming and excitement was through the roof so much so that it was hard to hear Tinashe performing. My adrenaline was rushing and I could feel the cool breeze of Tinashe’s dancers as they twirled around on stage just a couple of feet from me.
I ventured to the second floor balcony to experience Tinashe’s performance from a different vantage point. During “Touch & Go,” Tinashe came to the edge of the stage and reached her hand out over the crowd. Suddenly, the crowd pushed their way closer to Tinashe, all reaching for her hand.
Seeing as this was my first Tinashe show, I didn’t exactly know what to expect. I was a big fan of 333 and I knew how talented she was, but did not expect such a show-stopping performance that evening. Tinashe truly made sure her fans were fed that evening, giving us a full 30-song, career-spanning setlist which included hits like “Undo (Back To My Heart),” “2 On,” “X,” and “Throw A Fit” before concluding her set with “Pasadena.”
Tinashe deserved every second of the praise she received within those walls of Terminal 5 on that evening. She owned New York City that night and served us all up a performance that was one for the books and truly unforgettable. The sheer talent that exists within her is unstoppable and I cannot wait to see her perform live again.
