Still riding high from my last excursion to Met Life Stadium to see Taylor Swift in May, I returned to the mothership on Sunday night to round out my Girl Summer at Beyoncé’s Renaissance Tour. While I refuse to compare the two concert experiences (stop pitting women against each other!), I can say, as a dyed-in-the-wool Swiftie, Beyoncé blew me away. 

I know, imagine being impressed by the literal most awarded artist in Grammy history? Groundbreaking. It was more than just her flawless vocals, stage presence and choreography — Beyoncé engaged all 82,500 of us on a deeply personal level, completing the Carters’ NYC takeover after Jay-Z’s “Book of HOV” exhibit opened at the Brooklyn Public Library a few weeks ago.

After opening for herself (!) — performing six ballads including “Dangerously in Love,” “1 + 1” and “I Care” — Queen Bey changed out of her gown and into her party clothes. The screen behind her wasn't just your standard live feed of the stage, but the rocket ship that took us on a three-hour, six-act adventure through outer space, Black rodeo culture, the underground Ball scene and the echo chambers of surveillance capitalism. According to the New York Times,

“The stage itself was breathtaking, featuring an arced cutout section of the screen that made for playful visuals… The screen, though, was the point. Beyoncé’s two solo releases before ‘Renaissance’ were billed as ‘visual albums,’ featuring a fully realized music video for each track. Again toying with her fans’ anticipation, she has still not released any videos from ‘Renaissance,’ giving the previously unseen graphics an added impact, and making them feel more weighty than a convenient way to pass time between costume changes.”

All true. Watch the video to hear those vocals in action.

If her screen visuals were that impressive, what she achieved onstage can only be described as a religious experience (a Church Girl reference) based in community. Beyoncé acknowledged the crowd with so much care by reading signs, sharing birthday wishes and complimenting everyone’s looks. And I will never forget when we collectively passed the vibe test, singing the “Love on Top” chorus on a forever loop to the queen herself before she stopped to applaud us.

Additionally, everyone up there with her — every dancer, backup singer and band member — had their moment in the spotlight with all eyes on them. Les Twins and Blue Ivy had the biggest reactions, especially when the 11-year-old came out for her dance cameo in a New York shirt. There was even a full Ball onstage in which the star of the show stepped back to join the circle around her dancers’ catwalks, duckwalks, and dips. (Imagine Madonna or Janet Jackson sharing space like that?) Toward the end of the night, Bey became a bee, wearing a custom Mugler design paying homage to the Beyhive fandom, a gesture I found profoundly heartfelt.

Okay, I will make one Taylor Swift comparison… Taylor’s charm is in her relatability. When I saw the Eras Tour, she restarted a song to try it in a higher key, fumbled over a few steps and cried at the piano. Even when Beyoncé opened the show saying, “Tonight is not about perfection,” I didn’t believe her. To me, she embodies perfection. Then, during “Diva,” she dropped her sunglasses and mouthed an expletive while laughing to pick them up before snapping back into formation. And for a moment, she was human.

— Samantha & Co.

XP LAND XLIST JURY MEMBER SPOTLIGHT: JOE KILLIAN

Before Burning Man, before Coachella, there was (and still is!) SummerStage. Since 1986, New York City’s Central Park has hosted the performance series, which has welcomed musicians, poets, and dancers including Patti Smith, Celia Cruz, and Jason Moran in shows that are usually free to the public. The eclectic lineup — which is fitting for a city as global as New York — is the brainchild of SummerStage founder Joe Killian.

Long before the concept of experiential became a thing, Killian created just that in Central Park — a space that lends itself to transformation. “You leave the grid of Manhattan, and all of a sudden you see big rock outcroppings and can’t see too far in the distance because the road winds and curves. That starts your experience.”

Keep reading to learn how a strong sense of DIY launched his career; the one — and he says, only — good idea he’s ever had; and how love and experiential are interconnected.

💃 Forward to a chaotic single — Chaotic Singles Party asks guests to bring someone they’ve matched with on Tinder, but whom they don’t yet know. What could go wrong? Read more about how one single lady partnered with Tinder on a singles summer series to celebrate “uncuffing” season in Los Angeles, New York and Chicago.

The strike marches on… The 2023 Emmy Awards will be pushed back from their September broadcast date as the Writers Guild of America and SAG-AFTRA continue to strike. Fox is expected to soon announce that the event will be rescheduled for January, marking the first time the Emmys have been postponed since 2001. 

Resorts World: Look at my brand-new, 162,000-square-foot screen overlooking the Las Vegas Strip! The Venetian: Hold my beer… Sphere Entertainment has started testing its first — and giant, 6.2-million-square-foot — LED-laden music venue that’s already being billed as the “world's largest video screen.” U2 will christen the Sphere this fall. Your move, Caesars Palace.

A truth that defies fandom… All parents are embarrassing

Today's newsletter was brought to you by Samantha Stallard. Editing by Shannon Barr. Graphics by Greg Hall. Marketing by Anne Woodard. Site management by Nick Lawson. Managing edits by Erica Boeke and Caitie Murphy.