Ne-Yo and Akon gave Kansas City a time hop back to the 2000s

Akon. // photo by Ethan Sympson

On Friday night, August 7, I got about as close as I ever will to experiencing a 2000s nightclub in its prime.

As a Gen Z concertgoer, I was far too young to experience songs like “Bartender,” “Dangerous,” “Closer,” and “Because of You” when they first took over radio stations and clubs. But nearly two decades later, Ne-Yo and Akon brought those songs and dozens more to Riverside’s Morton Amphitheater for the Nights Like This Tour, giving fans of different generations a chance to relive, or experience for the first time, an era when their music seemed to be everywhere.

Before the nostalgia could begin, though, concertgoers first had to make it to the venue. Morton Amphitheater has welcomed an impressive lineup during its inaugural summer, but getting there remains one of the venue’s growing pains. It took me over half an hour. The workers I encountered were friendly and helpful, but the traffic surrounding the venue made for a stressful start to the evening.

Once inside, however, the new amphitheater made a much stronger impression. The venue grounds were beautiful and well-kept, making Morton a welcome addition to Kansas City’s outdoor concert options, even as temperatures above 90 degrees made the outdoor setting impossible to forget. And, apparently, no one told Ne-Yo.

Ne-Yo. // photo by Ethan Sympson

Wearing his signature hat and a black suit with gold detailing around the collar, Ne-Yo opened the show with “Closer” and “Because of You.” How he remained comfortable in the outfit was beyond me, but the polished look matched his equally polished entrance. Backed by a live band with strings and brass, Ne-Yo moved through his first stretch of hits. The musicians, dancers, and vocalists would remain one of the strongest parts of the production throughout the night, adding another layer to songs many in the crowd had already known for years.

Ne-Yo’s opening set also established one side of the evening’s constantly changing mood. His R&B catalog created a more intimate atmosphere, particularly for the couples scattered throughout the amphitheater. As someone who can get the ick from too much PDA, I may not have been the target audience for every romantic moment, but the reactions around me made it clear plenty of people were.

Then came Akon, and the mood changed almost immediately. Opening with “AKON’S BEAUTIFUL DAY” before moving through some of his earlier hits, Akon brought an energy that felt less like date night and more like a dance floor. His portions of the show quickly became my favorite of the two styles, as I spent much of them dancing up and down as if I were out with friends rather than standing in an amphitheater.

Akon was joined by Les Twins, whose choreography was among the highlights of a night filled with strong dancers. Some of the staging choices surrounding them were more questionable. Dancers dressed as prisoners during “Locked Up” felt a little on the nose, while some of the digital visuals throughout the set did not always match the quality of the performers standing in front of them.

Akon. // photo by Ethan Sympson

The live performers themselves, however, rarely missed. That distinction became increasingly important as Ne-Yo and Akon continued trading the stage throughout the night. Rather than giving each artist one traditional headlining set, the show was divided into several sections, with one disappearing before the other emerged to take the concert in another direction.

Sometimes, the transitions were so abrupt they felt like someone had yelled “Cut!” and started the next scene. At one point, a fan near me joked that it felt like we had attended five different shows. Between the intimate R&B, club-ready hits, choreography, songwriting showcases, and everything that came later, the description became increasingly accurate.

Ne-Yo. // photo by Ethan Sympson

Ne-Yo’s return took the show further into hip-hop through songs he had appeared on with artists including Jeezy, Fabolous, and Plies. Akon followed with another stretch of familiar collaborations, including “Sweetest Girl (Dollar Bill),” “Bartender,” and “Dangerous.”

Of the many songs I hoped Akon would perform, “Sweetest Girl” was near the top of the list. The Wyclef Jean track was played often in my Haitian-American household growing up, so hearing Akon perform his part live gave the night’s larger nostalgia a more personal connection.

It also reinforced just how difficult it is to separate either artist from the sound of the 2000s. That became quite evident during one of the night’s most entertaining segments, when Ne-Yo began highlighting songs he had written for other artists. His credits took the crowd through Mario’s “Let Me Love You,” Rihanna’s “Take a Bow,” Beyoncé’s “Irreplaceable,” and more.

Akon eventually appeared to jokingly question why he had not been invited to the game, considering his own lengthy list of collaborations and production credits. The banter may not have been entirely spontaneous, but it worked, turning what could have been a simple medley into a playful reminder of how far both artists’ influence extends beyond their own discographies.

Akon. // photo by Ethan Sympson

By the time the segment reached Lady Gaga’s “Just Dance” (a song Akon co-wrote with Lady Gaga), it was difficult not to wonder how many songs from the era had somehow involved one of the two men onstage.

Then, a voice came over the speakers with an unusual instruction: Take a breather. A 10-minute countdown appeared, giving everyone an official intermission. For a show stretching across 50 songs, the break was surprisingly genius. Instead of forcing concertgoers to choose between holding a bathroom break indefinitely or saying a quick prayer that their favorite song would not start while they were gone, everyone finally had permission to leave their seats without fear of missing anything.

After the “intermission,” Akon returned with “Don’t Matter” before loosening the structure of the set. During “Danza Kuduro” and “The Sweet Escape,” he remixed and freestyled over portions of the songs while bringing fans onstage to dance alongside him.

The moment fit Akon’s approach to the night. While Ne-Yo’s portions often felt carefully staged and intimate, Akon seemed most at home when the line between the stage and the crowd became less defined. He later took that connection even further during “Lonely,” making his way offstage and through the audience.

Ne-Yo. // photo by Ethan Sympson

Ne-Yo’s next appearance brought the night back toward its more intimate side with “So Sick” and “Mad.” Like Akon, he eventually left the stage himself, performing two songs from within the crowd, including “Miss Independent.”

He also took time to spotlight his background singers, Bryan, Ashley, and Pam, giving each vocalist a chance to step forward individually. All three made the most of it. Their voices were strong enough that the moment felt less like a brief introduction and more like watching three artists capable of leading their own stages.

Later, Ne-Yo used the set to introduce newer music, including “Up Out & Gone,” part of his move toward blending R&B with country influences. The music itself offered an interesting change of pace. The cowboy hats and red Solo cups accompanying it were a little harder for me to get behind.

But if one portion of the night was not working for someone, the structure of the tour meant another change was never far away.

By the final stretches, both artists still had some of their biggest hits waiting. Akon returned with “I Wanna Love You,” “Right Now (Na Na Na),” “Beautiful,” and “Sexy Chick,” while Ne-Yo countered with “Let’s Go,” “Time of Our Lives,” and “Give Me Everything.”

That stretch felt particularly full-circle after I had seen Calvin Harris, David Guetta, and Pitbull earlier this year. Songs I had recently heard from their perspectives were now being performed by Akon and Ne-Yo, whose voices helped make them recognizable in the first place.

And for Kansas City concertgoers, that connection can soon come full circle, too: Pitbull is scheduled to perform at Morton Amphitheater next month.

Finally, after spending most of the evening taking turns, Ne-Yo and Akon joined each other for “Play Hard” to close out the evening. It was an ambitious amount of music, but somehow, the show rarely felt like it was simply working through a long setlist. The constant switches between artists gave the night multiple identities. Ne-Yo could make the amphitheater feel intimate before Akon returned and turned the same space into a dance floor.

Not every production choice landed, but the live band, orchestra, vocalists, and dancers remained incredibly strong throughout. Both headliners seemed to understand exactly why many people had come: to hear the songs that defined a particular period of their lives.

For millennials and some Gen Xers in the crowd, the Nights Like This Tour offered a chance to revisit that period. For younger fans like me, it offered the chance to experience a version of an era we were too young to fully participate in. I may have never gotten to dance to Akon or Ne-Yo’s hits in a club when those songs first came out. But Friday night, surrounded by thousands of fans doing the same thing at Morton Amphitheater, felt close enough.

All photos by Ethan Sympson

Ne-Yo

Akon

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