Revel Presents: Beyoncé Live (also called Back to Business) was the third concert residency by American singer-songwriter Beyoncé. Announced in March, and held during four consecutive nights in May 2012 in Atlantic City, New Jersey, the concerts were part of the opening of the new entertainment resort, hotel, casino and spa, Revel. Beyoncé stated that her alter ego Sasha Fierce was brought back to life for the performances and the main concept was that the birth of her first baby made her more grounded. She promoted the shows by projecting images and releasing behind-the-scenes footage on her official website.
The stage included several LED screens and the singer was backed by female background vocalists, all-female band and dancers. The set list contained songs from Beyoncé's four studio albums as well as several covers and "Jumpin', Jumpin'", which she recorded with her former girl group Destiny's Child. She collaborated on outfits with several fashion designers including Ralph and Russo, Swarovski, Dolce & Gabbana, David Koma and her mother, designer Tina Knowles. Critics praised the costumes and Beyoncé's look during the shows.
Revel Presents: Beyoncé Live received positive reviews from music critics who praised Beyoncé's vocals and dance abilities during the concerts calling it her post-pregnancy comeback show. Commercially, the shows were also successful with the tickets for all three shows being sold out in one minute on April 6, 2012, after they were made available for purchase. Later, when the fourth show was announced, it eventually sold out as well. Footage of the concert was used in Beyoncé's 2013 HBO documentary Life Is But a Dream; a concert recording, Live in Atlantic City, was included as part of the home video release of Life is But a Dream.
Background and development
On March 19, 2012, Beyoncé's publicist Yvette Noel-Schure announced that the singer would perform three shows (May 25–27, 2012) at Revel Atlantic City to inaugurate the resort and its Ovation Hall, a 5,050-seat concert venue. The concerts were noted as the singer's first performances since giving birth to her daughter, Blue Ivy Carter, in January of the same year and her first shows since the 4 Intimate Nights with Beyoncé residency in August 2011. Rehearsals began in March, two months prior to the date of the concerts as Beyoncé had to lose sixty pounds for the show after her pregnancy. James Dinh of MTV News wrote that it was further expected from the concerts to be "much more of a grand spectacle" in comparison with 4 Intimate Nights with Beyoncé, with high-tech LED display, intense choreography and video backdrops.
On March 20, 2012, several billboards by Beyoncé were projected on the Big Screen of the NASDAQ on Times Square advertising her show in Revel Atlantic City. On May 24, 2012, the first half of a behind-the-scenes video detailing the event premiered. It showed rehearsals and preparations for the show and a performance of "Halo". In it, Beyoncé stated that she is excited, yet nervous about the shows. She said "[Performing at Revel is] like going back to my old job and it's a little strange." She continued saying that it was vital for her not to lose herself and still have her own passion even after she became a mother, something she was accomplishing with the shows. Director/Choreographer Frank Gatson Jr. said that the show had the potential of being the greatest show of Beyoncé's career. The second behind-the-scenes video detailing the event premiered the next day, on May 25, 2012. During the video, Beyoncé stated that she tried to bring back to life her alter ego Sasha Fierce for the show. She further said that she is anxious about the show as her team was doing it in two weeks, unlike her previous shows which were prepared in two months. Beyoncé further revealed the concept of the show saying, "What I'm trying to say with the show ... yes, I had a baby, but it just made me more grounded". The concert was also called Back to Business referencing Beyoncé's song "Run the World (Girls)".
Stage and set list Onstage, Beyoncé was backed by her all-female band consisting of eleven members, background vocalists and ten dancers including the French duo Les Twins. The stage included several LED screens on which grainy-color videos were shown as well as several black and white geometric patterns. Video interludes with voice-overs recorded by Beyoncé were also shown. Dawn Fallik of The Wall Street Journal noted that the stage set offered "a seemingly endless number of screens and levels" for Beyoncé's all-female band. Jim Farber of the Daily News praised the look of the graphics saying that they were elegant and classic like a zebra's stripes. The light shows during the performances were "modest" as described by Ben Ratliff of The New York Times.
Glenn Gamboa of Newsday wrote that the stage set of massive cubes was similar to the Watch the Throne Tour by Jay-Z and Kanye West and noted that the "complicated" system of screens which was used to leave an impression that Beyoncé and her dancers were stepping in and out of black-and-white images was influenced by the opening credits of James Bond films. He further noted, "There were so many striking visual images both on stage and on screen, the show felt like a Pinterest board come to life -- packed with bold colors and graphics, elegant modern dance positions and video clips." Tris McCall of The Star-Ledger also compared the light-up platforms on the stage with the towering cubes used during the Watch the Throne Tour. In another review, he noted, "The light show was as hypnotic as Laser Floyd, the costumes glittered like mirror balls, and the bass at Ovation Hall was so booming that I often felt like I was standing in a stiff wind." Chuck Darrow of the Philadelphia Media Network wrote, "Beyonce's name might have been the one on the ticket for the two-hour, 27-song program, but those responsible for its design and staging deserve as much credit as anyone. The show's visual centerpiece was a stage-spanning video display screen offering an endless array of multi-hued shapes and geometric patterns, not to mention crystal-clear wide shots and close-ups of the star. The result was a dramatic presentation befitting a performer of Beyonce's magnitude." The set list contained songs from Beyoncé's four studio albums as well as "Jumpin', Jumpin'", which she recorded with Destiny's Child. In addition to performing her songs, Beyoncé also covered Whitney Houston's version of "I Will Always Love You" (1992) during the performance of "Halo", Donna Summer's "Love to Love You Baby" (1975) during the performance of "Naughty Girl", Goo Goo Dolls' "Iris" (1998) during "If I Were a Boy" and Lauryn Hill's "Ex-Factor" (1998). Caryn Ganz of Spin magazine noted that Beyoncé's up-tempo songs were performed at the beginning of the concert. Fallik of The Wall Street Journal noted that the show "relied too much on lesser-known, slower songs that lulled the crowd into their seats instead of bringing them to their feet" and added that "only a couple songs called for much movement".
Fashion and wardrobe The shows featured couture costumes designed by fashion house Ralph and Russo. Designer Tamara Ralph said Beyoncé asked them to be "really creative" while creating items with "an ultra-glamorous feel to them". The duo's inspiration was "modern showgirl", paying attention to the "comfort and flexibility of each outfit and the ease of getting in and out of the pieces with quick costume changes". All the crystals for the show were provided by Swarovski; a team of 20 couturiers worked to complete the looks, which were embellished with more than 500,000 crystals from Swarovski Elements in four weeks. Beyoncé wore shoes by Stuart Weitzman. The dancers were dressed in Dolce & Gabbana and David Koma clothes. The band wore Alexander Vauthier clothes while The Mamas wore pin-up girl clothing. Some clothes for the show were also designed by Beyoncé's mother Tina Knowles. Beyoncé also worked with David Koma who designed a panelled bodysuit with lace detailing. Koma described his collaboration during an interview with Vogue, saying, "I absolutely love to work with Beyoncé and her team and I'm very happy that she is back... She looks more beautiful than ever and it's always a pleasure to work with her!". Co-designer Michael Russo further described his collaboration with Beyoncé, "Beyoncé always delivers energetic performances... It was an absolute pleasure to work with her to create exquisite pieces that dazzle on stage."
Beyoncé changed costumes five times during the show. Her looks ranged from a sparkling fringed set to a red leotard. Her fashion during the shows received praise from critics. Celia L. Smith of Essence magazine described Beyoncé's look as "fabulous" while further calling her costumes "dazzling" and "fierce". A writer of Vogue magazine noted that Beyoncé's show "required something a little more spectacular than her recent dressed-down chic". Dawn Fallik of The Wall Street Journal commented that Beyoncé was "shedding costumes like a chameleon changing colors" during the show. He went on saying, "There were fashion montages with Beyonce in 1950s cat glasses, 1960s headbands and 1970s mod form" further concluding that the fashion was "all well and good". Chuck Darrow of the Philadelphia Media Network wrote in his review that the "shape-hugging, leg-baring costumes in which she was garbed were, by today's standards, [were] almost demure." Dan DeLuca of Philadelphia Inquirer noted that her "barely-there" outfits were designed to call attention to Beyoncé's physique "from the derriere down".
Concert synopsis Beyoncé opened the shows with a performance of "End of Time" as her silhouette appeared in front of a large screen. The performance contained triple-time drumbeats and background vocals from her background singers. A retro-soulful performance of "Love On Top" followed with Beyoncé saying "Atlantic City, snap your fingers". As she was performing a New Edition-inspired choreography and sang the song's modulations in an extended vocal showcase the crowd sang along with her. Afterwards, "Get Me Bodied" was performed with Bob Fosse-style swing and formations. Beyoncé performed the reggae dancehall song "Baby Boy" and during a "giddy" version of "Crazy in Love" she wore a cropped, spangled top and a mini skirt. During the performance of the song, pre-recorded vocals by Jay-Z who is featured on it were played. "Diva" was performed as the sixth song of the set.
Prior to the performance of "Naughty Girl", a spoken-word segment about female sexuality was shown with Beyoncé saying "Harnessing the power of your body requires responsibility". During the performance of the song she also included a sample of the groans and coos from Donna Summer's "Love to Love You Baby" and sang a snippet of it as a tribute to the singer following her death. During the performance of the eighth song, "Party", confetti were dropped on stage from the roof and dice-shaped beach balls were being tossed through the crowd as dancers in large feathered headdresses performed a choreography in the aisles. During "Dance for You", Beyoncé did not sing live but was accompanied vocally by her three backup vocalists and performed a choreographed bump and grind dance. She was wearing a black leotard during the performance of "Freakum Dress" which featured a strut-heavy footwork. During the performance of "I Care", Beyoncé matched the notes of her guitarist's solo and "Schoolin' Life" followed. "1+1" saw her singing the song seated on top of a piano and the performance focused on the singer and individual members of her band.