Live Performance Reviews

SHOW REVIEW | Demi Lovato in Camden, NJ

By Lex Hervoix | March 9, 2014

I can’t believe it’s already been a week since I sat inside the Susquehanna Bank Center on March 1st to see Demi Lovato perform in Camden, NJ as part as her Neon Lights Tour. Although Miss Lovato was still on vocal rest during the day to get over her laryngitis, she did put on an amazing show!

After meeting Fifth Harmony’s Camila Cabello, Ally Brooke, Lauren Jauregui, Normani Kordei and Dinah Jane, who by the way are the sweetest girls you’ll ever meet, I skipped their acoustic session and their Q&A to head to Demi’s Souncheck. After 5 minutes of just the band sound checking, the 21-year-old got on stage wearing simple black leggings and a large Hermes hoodie. Demi started by asking fans what song they’d like to hear, to which they excitingly requested “Catch Me”. Following that, Demi’s friend and now infamous assistant Natalie Martin joined her on stage to ask her some fan questions. Due to her sickness Demi only perform two songs during soundcheck, the second being “Believe In Me”, a song very meaningful to the fans who had been highly requested it after the tour was announced.

A few hours later, fellow Hollywood Records artist DJ Cole Plante kicked off the show, before being joined by magician Collins Keys who played the host during the night, performing magic tricks in between acts. Though Fifth Harmony have yet to release their debut album, the girls took the stage for 25 minutes, performing songs from their first EP Better Together, as well as a cover of Destiny’s Child’s “Miss Independent”.

The X Factor UK winners Little Mix then took over the stage and set the crowd of fire. Performing songs from their two albums DNA and Salute, Jade, Leigh-Anne, Perrie and Jesy had everyone of their feet with their sexy moves during “Move”, “Salute”, and “Wings.” The girls also performed an a Capella version of their single “How Ya Doin’?” as well as an intimate version of “Little Me,” an anthem encouraging young girls to stand up for themselves.

Finally, after an hour or so, it was Demi’s turn to get on stage. The pink-haired singer opened with the first single off of her latest album DEMI, “Heart Attack”. Performing songs from all 4 of her albums, Demi went from her pop-rock days with “The Middle” to her more recent hits, including Oscar-winning single “Let It Go”. However her latest hit “Made In The USA”, along with “Catch Me” and “Stop The World” which she usually performs did not make it to the Camden setlist, probably for the high notes that Demi could not really reach nor hold due to a still sore throat.

Her older hits such at “Remember December”, “Don’t Forget”, and “Got Dynamite” were powerfully sung back to Demi by the concert goers. “Skyscraper” and “Give Your Heart A Break” were apart of Demi’s encore with fans continuing to sing along with her. On tour to promote her fourth album, Demi performed 4 others songs off of DEMI: “Fire Stater,” “Really Don’t Care,” “Nightingale”, and “Two Pieces”. But the song that hit fans the most on an emotional level during Demi’s set was definitively “Warrior”, during which the whole crowd held up signs reading We Are Warriors, after she explained that the night was about “escaping together from whatever was going on in their personal life”.

One of the most interesting aspects of Demi’s show was definitively the stage presentation. Neon Lights everywhere, video footage documenting her career and past struggles, Demi and stage/musical director Nick Jonas truly went all out for this tour! If you plan on going to one of the remaining shows, which you really should, make sure to download the official Demi Lovato app. By launching the app during “Neon Lights” everyone’s phone flashlight will blink to the beat of the song, making the crowd look like a starry sky and making the experience even more fun.

The Neon Lights Tour will run in North America till Mar. 30, before moving to South America in April.