Kansas City Blog

The real Jamie Foxx may have never appeared at the Sprint Center on Saturday night. Instead, he performed as a few polished characters: the oversexed old-school R&B crooner, the feisty hip-hop hitmaker, and, briefly, the reincarnation of Ray Charles. Nearly as brief as Ray's appearance were the moments of pure comedy. Foxx used his formidable stand-up and sketch-comedy chops only as segues to the next club jam. Despite the undeniable popularity of "Blame It," Jamie Foxx the comedic emcee and Jamie Foxx the second coming of Ray were more convincing than Jamie Foxx the solo artist. Still, Jamie Foxx the solo artist looked like he was having the most fun.

Scott Spychalski

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Foxx had a few clear messages for Kansas City.

1. "Love music ain't goin' nowhere."

And "Slow Jamz," that number-one single from over half a decade ago, isn't going away either. Donning only a white suit and pheromones, Foxx belted out some sensitive between-the-sheets ballads. A great vocal mimic with a damn good voice of his own, he channeled Luther Vandross and late-20th century R&B in general, expanding on the "Slow Jamz" references and performing some of his own material. He even apologized for his use of Autotune in a moment of scripted remorse. After all, singing computers are the antithesis of "love music."

Scott Spychalski

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2. "This is for all the beautiful, independent women: black, white, Latino."

This unnecessary statement was repeated maybe six times over the course of the show. Ladies, independent or otherwise, love Jamie Foxx. When he repeatedly asked the crowd, "Can I kiss you with these lips?" he may as well have been asking a woman whose hair was on fire if he could dump a bucket of water over her. He should be cautious, though. Any comment about Latina women is subject to scrutiny at Supreme Court confirmation hearings.

3. "I wish I could make love to all the beautiful women in Kansas City."

Jamie, that would be a bigger accomplishment than anything in your stellar acting career. Maybe you can portray Wilt Chamberlain in your next movie.

Scott Spychalski

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Sporting a teal coat and the spot-on physical and verbal tics of Ray Charles, Jamie Foxx performed "What'd I Say," and "I Got a Woman." Then it was back to the black leather jacket and sequined black tee for some hip-hop inflected pop. The songs from Intuition, Foxx's latest album, are manufactured exactly to current chart-topping specifications. Heavy on high-profile guest appearances, Autotune, and nothing unfamiliar, it's no wonder Intuition is so successful.

Hyphenated names sell records, or ring tones, or whatever musicians make money off of nowadays. You'd have to travel to some remote corner of space to find an artist who hasn't collaborated with Ne-Yo or T-Pain. The album's numerous guest appearances were executed in concert by an able, energetic backing band. Played live, "Digital Girl," "Number One," etc., were as fun and forgettable as when spun by a DJ. Without the polished precision of a studio recording, however, they felt slightly emptier. Foxx's digitally corrected vocals sounded awkward over real drums, bass, and guitars.

Scott Spychalski

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There's no questioning Jamie Foxx's musical ability. It's not like he's Michael Jordan getting struck out by minor league pitchers. Unfortunately, a white piano at the edge of the stage was ignored for the majority of the show.

The most intriguing of Foxx's new material was "Freak'in Me," a tune dedicated to baby mak'in and the creative use of punctuation. This song, like "Slow Jamz," proves that Foxx's music works best when he doesn't sacrifice soulfulness for a radio-friendly sound. Of course, the crowd was swaying in ecstasy as he closed with "Blame It," a supremely catchy summer jam. Only the celebrities and the dancing panda from the video were missing.