Live review: Selena Gomez, Time Warner Cable Arena (6/7/2016)

Selena Gomez w/ DNCE
Time Warner Cable Arena
June 7, 2016

The new generation’s pop princess treated Charlotte to a 90-minute set on Tuesday night when Selena Gomez’s Revival Tour rolled into town. Many fans had anxiously awaited this night partially out of anticipation, partially because of anxiety, as they weren’t sure the show would go on.

With so many musical acts and shows pulling out of their Queen City stops thanks to the HB2 bill, Gomez’s fans waited with bated breath until she confirmed she would still be here. “I would never disappoint you,” she told the crowd at Time Warner Cable Arena with her trademark grin.

When Gomez first came up on the Disney Channel, she wasn’t exactly a musical star on the ri

se. She started out as an actress known for original movies, bit parts on Hannah Montana and then a starring role in Wizards of Waverly Place — no one really had her pegged as being the musical ingénue of that generation of Disney stars. As part of a commercial machine that that spawned the Jonas Brothers (Joe Jonas’ band DNCE opened with a solid set for Gomez on this tour) and Demi Lovato (who’s powerhouse voice rivals that of the greats), Gomez was considered the cute comedic actress that just dabbled in music.

Yet as her most recent album title suggests, she underwent a serious Revival after some very public ups and downs. It’s taken nearly seven years for her to find the right fit in the music world, but she’s finally done it. She may not be a vocal powerhouse, but the girl has definitely improved her vocal performance (even if she did noticeably skip the high notes in her songs in favor of the recorded track) and has an awesome stage presence.

As the intro music transitioned into “Same Old Love,” Gomez brought out the theatrics from the get go. Positioned behind a curtain, it was a literal smoke and mirrors show — she emerged only after teasing fans with her shadowy profile. The entire set was a theatrical production revolving around moveable sets, costume changes and highly choreographed dance numbers, but it worked.

And what she lacks in vocal range she more than makes up for in emotion. She’s chosen to focus her acting chops on her music and puts on a hell of a show, whether it’s slithering on a chair in skintight leather to “Good for You,” pouring her heart out in “Sober” or rocking out to a haunting rendition of cover song “Sweet Dreams Are Made of This.”

No matter her vocal performance, she made every person in the room feel exactly what she was feeling.

After a 19 song set Gomez left the stage for good. She chose not to do an encore but it’s understandable why — the show is solid, and doesn’t need it. She’s a smart lady who’s reinvented herself and her career time and time again and chooses to leave on a high note. Good call, Gomez; always leave them wanting more.

Setlist
Same Old Love
Come & Get It
Sober
Good for You
Survivors
Slow Down
Love You Like a Love Song
Hands to Myself
Who Says
Transfiguration
Nobody
Feel Me
Me and My Girls
Me & the Rhythm
Body Heat
Sweet Dreams (Eurythmics cover)
Kill Em With Kindness
I Want You to Know (Zedd cover)
Revival

This article appears in Jun 1-7, 2016.