Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility
Thousands of Screaming Fans Love Timberlake's Fresno Return
David Website Replacement
By David Taub, Senior Reporter
Published 6 years ago on
March 14, 2019

Share

Justin Timberlake brought it to the Save Mart Center Wednesday night.

And the capacity crowd, including many thirtysomething women on a girl’s night out, enjoyed what he brought.

Photo of GV Wire's David Taub

Opinion

David Taub

Timberlake danced. He sang. He even played the piano and guitar and pressed buttons on a synthesizer machine.

A Full Effort?

But, did he bring it all?

Thousands of screaming fans can’t be wrong, but something seemed … off.

Timberlake’s show was a make-good for missing a date last December, scratched because of bruised vocal cords. He last played in Fresno in 2007.

I get it that as a pop singer, the concert will feature pre-recorded background vocals blasting from the sound system. But, did Timberlake have to be so obvious about it? Justin’s voice echoed in the background whether his mic was near his lips, or if his lips even moved.

And the wardrobe. Shouldn’t JT wear a suit and tie and singing “Suit & Tie?” He only made one wardrobe change during the show, with both outfits a simple t-shirt, jeans, jacket combo.

(GV Wire/Jamie Ouverson)

Instead of being a man of fashion, he looked like an everyday mall rat.

Primo Stage

The “Man of the Woods Tour” featured a walkway stage snaking all the way from the front of the arena to the back. Timberlake and his entourage of dancers, and musicians performed a majority of songs along the tree-lined rampways.

The setup included no seats on the floor, just standing room only, with actual bars along the stage in the VIP section. Of course, JT danced on top of those bars delighting the VIP crowd eager to get closer to the icon.

(GV Wire/Jamie Ouverson)

Timberlake showed he was more than just a singer/dancer by strumming the guitar for a bluesy “Drink You Away.”

Afterward, JT and the crew retreated backstage for wardrobe changes. In the meantime, the audience saw an artsy video about relationships, in which a cohesive storyline in the mini-movie was absent.

The show’s second half began with a skit simulating a campfire, with Timberlake playing “Until the End of Time” on his guitar.

The remainder of the show was mostly dancing, with JT leading the choreography.

(GV Wire/Jamie Ouverson)

The 38-year old played his hits, closing the show with “Can’t Stop the Feeling!”

DON'T MISS

California’s Water Crisis Deepens as San Joaquin Valley Sinks

DON'T MISS

What to Know About Pam Bondi, Trump’s New Pick for Attorney General

DON'T MISS

North Korean Leader Says Past Diplomacy Only Confirmed US Hostility

DON'T MISS

Democrats Strike Deal to Get More Biden Judges Confirmed Before Congress Adjourns

DON'T MISS

Newsom Gaslights on Potential Gas Price Hikes in Fresno Visit

DON'T MISS

Automakers to Trump: Please Require Us to Sell Electric Vehicles

DON'T MISS

President Biden Welcomes 2024 NBA Champion Boston Celtics to White House

DON'T MISS

Ohtani Makes History With 3rd MVP, Judge Claims 2nd AL Honor

DON'T MISS

Trump Chooses Pam Bondi for Attorney General Pick After Gaetz Withdraws

DON'T MISS

Average Rate on a 30-Year Mortgage in the US Rises to Highest Level Since July

UP NEXT

How About an Honest Conversation About the Range of Light Monument Proposal?

UP NEXT

Chris Stapleton Wins 4 CMA Awards, but Morgan Wallen Is Entertainer of the Year

UP NEXT

How Trump Can Earn a Place in History That He Did Not Expect

UP NEXT

Demography Drives Destiny and Right Now California Is Losing

UP NEXT

Hate Your Instagram Feed? New Reset Feature Enhances User Control

UP NEXT

Defining Deviancy Down. And Down. And Down.

UP NEXT

Looking for a Night Out? Bill Burr, Ralph Barbosa and West Coast Takeover Are Up Next

UP NEXT

Comcast to Spin Off Cable Networks, Once Star Performers for the Entertainment Giant

UP NEXT

How Three Trump Policy Decrees Could Affect California Farmers

UP NEXT

‘Tis the Season for Holiday Albums, From Jennifer Hudson to Toby Keith and Jimmy Fallon

David Taub,
Senior Reporter
Curiosity drives David Taub. The award-winning journalist might be shy, but feels mighty with a recorder in his hand. He doesn't see it his job to "hold public officials accountable," but does see it to provide readers (and voters) the information needed to make intelligent choices. Taub has been honored with several writing awards from the California News Publishers Association. He's just happy to have his stories read. Joining GV Wire in 2016, Taub covers politics, government and elections, mainly in the Fresno/Clovis area. He also writes columns about local eateries (Appetite for Fresno), pro wrestling (Off the Bottom Rope), and media (Media Man). Prior to joining the online news source, Taub worked as a radio producer for KMJ and PowerTalk 96.7 in Fresno. He also worked as an assignment editor for KCOY-TV in Santa Maria, California, and KSEE-TV in Fresno. He has also worked behind the scenes for several sports broadcasts, including the NCAA basketball tournament, and the Super Bowl. When not spending time with his family, Taub loves to officially score Fresno Grizzlies games. Growing up in the San Francisco Bay Area, Taub is a die-hard Giants and 49ers fan. He graduated from the University of Michigan with dual degrees in communications and political science. Go Blue! You can contact David at 559-492-4037 or at Send an Email

Democrats Strike Deal to Get More Biden Judges Confirmed Before Congress Adjourns

11 hours ago

Newsom Gaslights on Potential Gas Price Hikes in Fresno Visit

12 hours ago

Automakers to Trump: Please Require Us to Sell Electric Vehicles

12 hours ago

President Biden Welcomes 2024 NBA Champion Boston Celtics to White House

12 hours ago

Ohtani Makes History With 3rd MVP, Judge Claims 2nd AL Honor

13 hours ago

Trump Chooses Pam Bondi for Attorney General Pick After Gaetz Withdraws

13 hours ago

Average Rate on a 30-Year Mortgage in the US Rises to Highest Level Since July

13 hours ago

Cutting in Line? American Airlines’ New Boarding Tech Might Stop You at Now Over 100 Airports

13 hours ago

MLB Will Test Robot Umpires at 13 Spring Training Ballparks Hosting 19 Teams

14 hours ago

Death Toll in Gaza From Israel-Hamas War Passes 44,000, Palestinian Officials Say

14 hours ago

California’s Water Crisis Deepens as San Joaquin Valley Sinks

California’s San Joaquin Valley is sinking at an alarming rate, according to a new study published in Nature Communication Earth and E...

47 minutes ago

Photo of Friant-Kern Canal
47 minutes ago

California’s Water Crisis Deepens as San Joaquin Valley Sinks

10 hours ago

What to Know About Pam Bondi, Trump’s New Pick for Attorney General

11 hours ago

North Korean Leader Says Past Diplomacy Only Confirmed US Hostility

11 hours ago

Democrats Strike Deal to Get More Biden Judges Confirmed Before Congress Adjourns

12 hours ago

Newsom Gaslights on Potential Gas Price Hikes in Fresno Visit

President Joe Biden with Mary Barra, the chief executive of General Motors, at the Detroit Auto Show, Sept. 14, 2022. President-elect Donald Trump has promised to erase the Biden administration’s tailpipe rules designed to get carmakers to produce electric vehicles, but most U.S. automakers want to keep them. (Doug Mills/The New York Times)
12 hours ago

Automakers to Trump: Please Require Us to Sell Electric Vehicles

12 hours ago

President Biden Welcomes 2024 NBA Champion Boston Celtics to White House

13 hours ago

Ohtani Makes History With 3rd MVP, Judge Claims 2nd AL Honor

Help continue the work that gets you the news that matters most.

Search

Send this to a friend