Little Caesars Arena | Detroit MI
No Real Cookout, but REAL Music was the Menu!
So, when my friend and I saw the announcement for Uncle Charlie’s R&B Cookout Tour hitting Little Caesars Arena in Detroit on September 5, 2025, we thought we were in for a full-on cookout experience. You know, smoky grills, ribs, potato salad, maybe even some cornbread for good measure. 🥓🍗
Yeah…nope. Not so much. 😅 Just the usual venue concessions. But okay, we adjusted…because when you have Charlie Wilson, Babyface, El DeBarge, and K-Ci Hailey on one stage, you don’t really need hot dogs. The music is the main course.
El DeBarge opened the night, and y’all…he set the stage on fire. 🔥 I mean, he still sounds so good—like time just paused and he stayed that same smooth, silky voice we all know and love. He ran through DeBarge classics, his solo hits, and even Switch songs. The crowd was here for it. The only thing? It was too short! I wanted more. He truly represented that family name with every note.
Next up was K-Ci from Jodeci. He was good, definitely engaging, but the highlight was how he connected with the audience. This man literally left the stage and sang in the crowd. That’s dedication, and I gotta respect that energy.
Then, Babyface took the stage… Babyface is a whole vibe, ok? He didn’t just perform his own hits; he reminded us why he’s basically a living catalog of R&B magic. The man played songs he wrote and produced for countless other artists, and the band was tight as hell. Honestly, that segment could have been its own show, and I wouldn’t have complained. 🎹🎤
Finally, the headliner, Charlie “Uncle Charlie” Wilson. He came out swinging, but I gotta say…he sat down a lot during his set. I hope he was okay because, for most of the night, it just wasn’t the super high-energy Uncle Charlie we know. Don’t get me wrong, his voice was still golden, but the stage presence we’ve come to expect? Not fully there.
All in all, it was a fun night. I laughed a little at our cookout fantasies, I got chills during El and Babyface’s performances, and I left the arena singing along to all the classics. If you ask me who stole the show, I’m calling it El DeBarge and Babyface, hands down. Charlie and K-Ci were solid, but those first two? Legendary vibes.
Would I go again? Absolutely. Just maybe with a burger in hand…from the concession stand. 😉
