Rosemont Theatre | Rosemont, IL
The Ultimate Freestyle Party!
November 8, 2004, marked an unforgettable night for every freestyle and throwback fan who packed into the Rosemont Theatre in Rosemont, IL! With a colossal lineup that promised hit after hit, I was ready for the time machine to take me back. I’ll admit, I probably only knew about a third of the artists by name. Let’s just say I was in for a night of surprises and nonstop energy that kept the crowd grooving!
Now, check out this mega lineup! Starting from the top, here’s who hit the stage (and a few of their top hits):
MGM Guarnera Brothers – Out of Sight, Out of Mind and Some Kind of Wonderful
Soave – Crying Over You and If You Want Me
No Mercy – Where Do You Go and Please Don’t Go
Cover Girls – Show Me and Wishing on a Star
Lisette Melendez – Together Forever and A Day in My Life (Without You)
Coro – Where Are You Tonight and My Fallen Angel
Cynthia – Change on Me and Dreamboy / Dreamgirl
Johnny O – Fantasy Girl and Highways of Love
Brenda K Starr – I Still Believe and What You See is What You Get
Rob Base – It Takes Two and Joy and Pain
Freedom Williams from C+C Music Factory – Gonna Make You Sweat and Things That Make You Go Hmmm
Expose’ – Seasons Change and Point of No Return
Ace of Base – The Sign and All That She Wants
Lisa Lisa – Head to Toe and Lost in Emotion
TK4 – Freestyle Revolution and Can’t Stop the Beat
First of all….the energy was electric as each artist came out swingin’ and the DJs kept it spinnin’! Here are the highlights of artists that brought me here and kept me IN!
Expose’ – hands down, my favorite of the night. They’re back together, and it was such a thrill! For a while, none of them were performing, to see them reunited was a total treat. They sounded amazing and brought back that magic with hits like Let Me Be The One and Seasons Change. They’re still every bit the powerhouse group I remember!
One of the main reasons I came was Lisa Lisa, and she did NOT disappoint… well, almost. Overall she was great, but she didn’t perform All Cried Out! I was so ready to belt that out right along with her! Still, her performance was pure nostalgia.
Brenda K Starr brought down the house with I Still Believe, her first #1, which she sang with such emotion that it blew us all away. I felt every word!
Freedom Williams from C+C Music Factory had the crowd pumped with his iconic flow. He’s still got it! And to top it off, the lady accompanying him…Smooth Jammy could BLOW! Her whole vibe was fiyah! She added that perfect punch to the performance, giving it a fresh energy that was simply incredible.
The Cover Girls brought their signature sass and style to the Freestyle Free for All stage, from Show Me, to Wishing on a Star, their harmonies were on point and the audience vibed with them.
Don’t get me wrong…Just because I’m not breaking it down about the rest of the performers, doesn’t mean they didn’t do their thing….everyone made it a fun, energetic night! The artists mentioned made me buy this ticket because they had me back in the day!
Almost five hours later….YES…FIVE HOURS…the night had to come to an end… and trust me, no one wanted it to! It was so much fun listening to the tracks I grew up with, seeing them brought to life on stage, and getting to know a few artists I hadn’t known before.
What a trip down memory lane, LIVE and in person! The Freestyle Free for All was everything I hoped it would be – pure, unfiltered, freestyle fun. Can’t wait for the next one!
