Robin Thicke Covers Al Green and Kanye West at HIV Benefit Concert
With his first No. 1 single "Blurred Lines" dominating the charts and an upcoming performance at Sunday's star-packed VMAs, Robin Thicke's Friday night benefit concert for the HIV/AIDS education organization Lifebeat felt alternately like a victory lap and a warm-up for his Barclays Center slot.
Taking the stage at NYC's Terminal 5 after a high-octane set from Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, Thicke opened his show with a not-so-secret weapon in order to take back the thunder from the boundlessly energetic Macklemore. It took just three seconds of "Blurred Lines" for the place to erupt in shrieks of ecstasy. After all, no matter how many times you've heard it, that bass line still works magic with every spin.
With a golden microphone and a three-piece suit, Thicke's stage presence exudes an old-school cool and class (well, at least until you start paying attention to some of the hyper-libidinous lyrics coming out of his mouth). But more than that, Thicke has an endearing on-stage confidence that ceaselessly works to convert those only familiar with "Blurred Lines" and his 2007 hit "Lost Without U." At one point—while referring to the long path from his 2002 debut to this year's chart-topper—Thicke divided the crowd into three categories: "Old fans, new fans and [those who are] not a fan yet."
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