Ne-Yo & Akon end co-headlining tour to ecstatic LA fans

Nostalgia and party vibes hit Inglewood hard, as Ne-Yo and Akon performed their final stop of their Nights Like This Tour. I’ve been to hundreds of shows in my life, but I’ve never been to a show like this one! As a kid, I would always hear Ne-Yo and Akon on the radio during my bus rides to school; I had no business listening to that kind of music for my age, but it surrounded me. Their music was everywhere.

So when their co-headlining tour was announced, I could not have been more ecstatic.

Arriving at the Intuit Dome, excitement could be felt in the air. Literally, Ne-Yo and Akon could be heard from most of the car radios pulling up to the parking lot. A lot of people were wearing Nights Like This tour merch, with concessions flying around as everyone got ready for this ultimate R&B party.

As I walked down to the venue floor, there was an MC hyping up the crowd with a lot of throwback music blasting through the arena speakers. Everyone was having a great time. Soon, the house lights turned off and the audience erupted into cheers. There were plenty of backing musicians and backing vocals onstage — even two drum sets! It was a mesmerizing sight to see. A screen at the back of the stage began to rise, revealing Ne-Yo standing behind.

The audience erupted in applause as the party began.

Ne-Yo started his set with “Closer”, prompting fans (including myself) to jump with excitement. The stage was one of the most intricate that I’ve ever seen and, man, none of it seemed to go to waste. There was layer after layer of spectacle, jam-packed with musicians. After a couple of Ne-Yo’s songs, the lights turned off and it was time for Akon to take over.

Simiarly to Ne-Yo, Akon’s entrance was shielded by a singular screen in the center of the stage that rose up. He was dressed in all white, holding a white microphone stand. Classy as all hell. Akon then launched into an explosive performance, with the crowd eating right out of his hand.

Everyone was fired up with no sign of slowing down.

Ne-Yo and Akon continued to alternate throughout the night every six songs or so, allowing each other time for wardrobe changes. Every song that came after another woke up a piece of everyone’s past teenage or childhood years; the demographic of the crowd seemed to range from people that were in elementary through high school when these songs were released. Yet, we all celebrated the songs just the same.

Overall, seeing these two legends in the first place was a dream come true, let alone being able to see both of them at the same time! This tour was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and I am incredibly grateful for the chance to have been able to attend its finalé.

Photography by Guillermo “Memo” Sanchez

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