The 2025 Millennium Tour Takes Over The DMV
The weekend of March 15 – 16 was a time to remember when some of the most notable stars of the 2000s completely shut down the DMV area when The Millennium Tour, presented by The Black Promoters Collective, rolled into the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States.
Saturday night the show took place at The EagleBank Arena in Fairfax, VA and then Sunday it traveled up to the CFG Bank Arena in Baltimore where the nostalgia value was on 100. For some unknown reason, the tour didn’t take place in either 2023 or 2024 so fans were feeling a bit left out. Since its inception, this particular tour has been one that I refuse to miss because the music was the soundtrack of my college years.
With a lineup that featured the likes of Trey Songz, Bow Wow, Omarion, Rick Ross, Plies, RSVP (Ray J, Sammie, Bobby V, & Pleasure P), Ying Yang Twins and Nivea, we already knew that this was going to be one of those nights were everyone could enjoy a time where we didn’t have to worry about “adulting.”
First to take the stage was the only female on the bill. It’s been a loooong time since we’ve seen this R&B diva in the spotlight, much less at a concert, so to give her the position of kicking off the show should have been considered an honor. Walking out on to the stage while opening up her set with the 2005 hit “Okay,” Nivea, backed by her two female backup dancers appeared as colorful as her personality. With a running time that really only allowed her 10 minutes, she packed in all the tunes that we expected to her from her. “Laundromat,” “25 Reasons,” and “Complicated” all got the live treatment, but it was “Don’t Mess With My Man” that really brought it on home and let us know that yeaaaa we were amongst our tribe of Millennials. With all that Nivea has faced over the years due to many different health crisis and life, it was just a blessing that she’s still able to get up and do what she loves every night in front of thousands of people.
Now who I would personally like to consider as the “turn of the century” party kingpins would be the Ying Yang Twins. For the first few years of the new millennium, you couldn’t go anywhere with out hearing a Ying Yang Twins song, and any party that you went to wasn’t at its’ peak point of the night until “Whistle While You Twerk” had all of the ladies shaking something.
As the only act that has been on every iteration of The Millennium Tour series (aside from Omarion), the Ying Yang Twins further cement why they are an integral part of the music tapestry and are probably one of my favorite parts of the show. From their sheer stage presence, to their own personal energy interacting with each other, to the musicality of their set, it was just a total package for me. Their music didn’t require a band, so they only had a DJ, but the way that he was able to blend each of those songs, and infuse them seamlessly into one another, matched the same vibe of a live band. Everybody in attendance, myself included, got their entire life to “Get Low“, “Whisper Song“, “Salt Shaker“, “Shake” and all the other joints that got every college party and club jumping circa 2004.
The next act is a group that originally wasn’t a group, but came to be “a thing” during the pandemic thanks to Versus. RSVP is and R&B group comprised of Ray J, Sammie, Bobby Valentino and Pleasure P, who actually just works out. Each member walked out while a video intro played chronicling their formation before “Sexy Can I” kicked into full blast. Personally I felt that their set was the most intricate and well thought out. While they actually DO have songs together as a unified group, the setlist was comprised of all hits from their solo catalogs.
“Wait A Minute” flowed into “Kiss Me Through The Phone” straight through to “Tell Me” and leading to Pleasure P bringing a female audience member on stage for a up close and personal “Under” experience. Looking at their 30 minute set was like watching a separate concert all in its’ own. The four fellas interacted with one another like brothers, singing background while one took the lead. I would honestly go pay just to see them do their own concert in the future.
Boosie Badazz went full throttle out the gate with a 3-peat when “Wipe Me Down,” “Independent,” and “Set It Off” and made a quite affirming comment that “they done put Boosie on the muthaf**cking Millennium Tour.
Florida based rapper Plies was geared towards the ladies rapping the lyrics to “Shawty” and “Bust It Baby, Part II” while lifting up his shirt, shortly followed thereafter by Rick Ross The Boss whos cool demeanor played well into his “larger than life” persona through songs “Aston Martin Music, ” “Diced Pineapples,” and “Hustlin.”
Everyone’s favorite “child rapper” would be the first main headliner of the night. Not so little any more, Shad Moss aka Bow Wow still packs the same bite that he did from when everyone initially fell in love with him. Being ejected into the air to the first chords of “Shortie Like Mine” set the tone of how his performance would rock.
Mr. 106 and Park has obviously been staying in tour ready shape as he ran back and forth across the span of the stage with youthful energy. C-Walking and ATL stepping all over the stage, we were taken through a run of hits that literally defined a generation. “I Think They Like Me,” “Let Me Hold You,” “Fresh Azimiz,” “Take Ya Home” and “Bounce With Me” we amongst the tracks that I even felt myself singing along to.
Omarion never fails to impress the fans when its his moment to cut up on stage. Making a bold move by opening his show up with a new song that we suspect is called “Go Crazy“, it was filled with all the hard hitting choreography that you would expect, especially with the track segueing directly into one of his biggest hits “Touch,” which would be his most iconic video due to the dancing.
As we mentioned earlier, O is one of the only mainstays on the Millennium Tour over the years, but it’s been quite impressive to see how he’s able to refresh his set each time and not make it like the last…drawing fans to continuously wanting to see what he has in store. During a brief quick change he allowed his brother and tour dj O’Ryan to keep the pace of the energy going. For his day one fans, he took it back to where it all started for him, digging in the crates and blowing off the dust to a few B2K songs. Mixing “Uh Huh” with Usher’s “You Don’t Have To Call” was a mashup that I didn’t know I needed, but wanted a little bit more of.
After almost five hours standing and being past most peoples bed times because you know that we’re “officially old” at this point in life, the final headliner was due on stage. Trey Songz reign as one of the ladies favorite male R&B artists started with his debut in 2005, and it wasn’t a sheer coincidence that he played right into being a ladies man by opening up with “Panty Droppa.”
It’s rather undeniable that his hits run deep watching him sing “I Invented Sex,” “Can’t Help But Wait,” “Na Na,” and “Love Faces” most of which he didn’t even need to sing because everyone else in the crowd pretty much sang the words for him. My only gripe would be that he didn’t use a live band and only relied on a dj to supply the backings for his tracks. I can typically overlook this at a rap show, but R&B music truly comes alive with the embellishments of live instrumentation.
Nonetheless Trey’z Angels really didn’t care about that because they got their whole entire lives. On a smart move on his behalf, he left us on a high note with his two biggest songs, which both happen to be party anthems “Say Aah” and “Bottoms Up.”
Photos from Saturday night at the EagleBank Arena in Fairfax, VA courtesy of Mike Ware Photography
Photos from Sunday night at the CFG Bank Arena in Baltimore, MD
