Justin Timberlake: Man of the Woods Tour

No need to stop the feeling in Charlotte!

Let’s be honest here, this man doesn’t really need an introduction. Not only has he become one of the most recognized artists in music today, with hits like “Sexyback”, “Mirrors” and what was the name of that song that you heard everywhere a few years ago? Oh yea, “Can’t Stop The Feeling”, yea that’s the one. Who can forget the fact that he was also in arguably one of the biggest boy bands of the last twenty years, *NSYNC. That’s right, the flashbacks are flooding in aren’t they? He’s also stepped in front of the camera multiple times to become the envy of many men and women with roles such as Dylan in Friends with Benefits and his numerous appearances on Saturday Night Live. I think I also speak for everyone when I say he’s someone who you’d love to have as your best friend in real life. Jimmy Fallon, we are very jealous of you. The one we speak of is none other than the beyond talented Justin Timberlake.

In celebration of his fifth studio album Man of the Woods, Justin kicked off this tour shortly after the album released back in February of 2018. Due to overwhelming demand for tickets, after his halftime performance at Super Bowl LII he announced even more dates for the tour that spanned to more venues across the US and even Europe. However due to medical reasons with bruised vocal cords he was forced to postpone any shows that fell in November and December of 2018.

Although upset, Timberlake also had a positive mentality as he normally does and even made appearances on TV without being able to speak such as on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon. If you were wondering… it was of course hilarious. Now it’s January, the healing has completed and the tour continues! We had the honor of joining Justin at his stop in Charlotte, NC.

Upon entering the SOLD OUT arena it was very evident that a show unlike any other was about to unfold before our eyes. How did we know you ask? Well, the stage curved it’s way through the entire floor area. Complete with a smaller portion in the center that acted as a bar for certain fans in the General Admission/VIP area. Yep, you read that right. His stage had a built in bar for the fans. This bar would also act as a catwalk for Timberlake and his dancers later on in the show. As the arena filled with fans, house music transitioned to a soothing yet growing tone that spread throughout the venue.

Lights then started to slowly dim as the crowd cheers louder and louder with each passing second to welcome Justin to the stage. Suddenly a large light fixture started to blink above and a bright beam of light appeared from below and behind the stage. Then the lights began to descend towards the stage and the light bars attached showed lines of lights that together created “MOTW” the acronym for Man Of The Woods.

The band then began to walk out from the light that was being cast, showing their silhouettes got the fans really hyped up because they knew who was about to walk out of those lights. As Justin walked out, the crowd lost their minds and instantly the music began. It was the first song off the album and the first song of the night.

“Filthy” which has a robotic feel and sound was accompanied by many lasers that created quite a visual spectacle. After a few moments on the larger part of the stage Justin made his way down the path that was the long and winding stage. Greeting the audience and high fiving fans as he went along. He then kicked the party into high gear as he got the crowd dancing with songs such as “Midnight Summer Jam” and “Lovestoned”.

The great thing about a show with Justin Timberlake is that it always feels genuine. Even in a huge arena that is packed with people, he found ways to crack jokes and bring everyone together through song and dance. A lot of dance. He made sure to include hits both new and old as he hit us with “Sexyback” and “Señorita” the audience got even more excited to be apart of the evening.

One of the highlights of the for many was the creatively choreographed dance that Timberlake does during the final parts of his hit song “Suit & Tie”. During which, he found himself dancing solo in the center of the path-like stage, when all of the sudden he was surrounded by lasers beaming down around him and moving and changing to the beat of the song.

One of the great things about this show was that you were left with so many memorable moments. Like the one where Timberlake sang the intro to Petey Pablo’s “Raise Up” because he was in North Carolina and got the whole crowd hyped. If you know the song, you know why this is funny. Oh yeah, and Petey Pablo was also at the show in Charlotte as well. Another moment was when it was time for the song “Cry Me A River” and the entire stage and path filled with fog and they were accented even more by lights above drawing designs and movement reminiscent of the Michael Jackson “Billie Jean” music video.

There was also the sheer detail that went into the stage design. The stage allowed for so many things to happen including having grass grow out of it when it was time for a scene around a real campfire on stage. All brought together for the entire arena to see thanks to retractable screens that would appear when video needed to be projects and still be able to not block anyone’s view.

A show with Justin Timberlake is more than a concert it’s an experience. Not only does he sing his ass off, he dances it off too alongside his incredible dancers and the rest of The Tennessee Kids. If you’re not familiar, The Tennessee Kids is what he calls his crew of dancers, band members and backup singers. Much like in the campfire session part of the show they help Justin bring the show to a level beyond expectations as play off of the crowd and interact even if it means dancing on a bar.

Although it was just a Tuesday night, it was not JUST a Tuesday night as Timberlake pointed out drink his intro to “Drink You Away”. He toasted the crowd as he and his team all downed a shot on stage. He followed it up by saying “Y’all go up like this on a Tuesday, I might have to stick around for a Wednesday” and the crowd cheered in acceptance. After his performance of “Drink You Away” he took his guitar and quickly transitioned in the recent hit song “Say Something” which prompted fans to begin recording with their phones in excitement.

It was those same phones that earlier in the set made for one of the most beautiful moments of the evening. It was during the campfire moment where most songs were acoustic including “What Goes Around… Come Around” and “Until The End Of Time” that the later got everyone holding up their lights at the request of Timberlake. Filling the arena with light in a breathtaking way.

Before saying goodbye and goodnight he amped the party level higher and higher with songs such as “Montana” and the throwback song “Summer Love”. As it turned out, the stage was even bigger than we thought as Timberlake and his dancers made their way into the audience during “Rock Your Body” which revealed a dance floor that began to light up beneath a part of the audience. Those fans got a special treat by having JT dance just a mere three feet away from them. To end the night Timberlake introduced the lasers again with pulsating base in the song “Supplies” following it with the classic “Like I Love You” and ending with one of the most insanely popular songs in recent year… “Can’t Stop The Feeling!”

The entire show was a spectacle to behold, and we highly recommend grabbing a ticket next time he visits a city near you. As for the Man of the Woods album and tour name. If your curious where it sources from, it’s his son… Silas. The Latin origin of the name Silas means “man of the woods”. We know, mind blown. It also lends itself to Timberlake’s roots growing up in the south in Tennessee. Also, be sure to be on the lookout next time he’s in your town. During his visit to Charlotte he just happened to pop into a local BBQ and grab a bite to eat at Midwood Smokehouse and followed it up with a round of golf at the local TopGolf. Now, that’s how you spend a day off.

Be sure to share any pictures or videos you got while at the show using #TwitFromThePit so the world can see. For more images from the evening, click on the link conveniently located below.