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"Legends Of The Summer" tour truly
lives up to its lofty title

Justin Timberlake & Jay Z
Soldier Field
Chicago, IL
July 22, 2013

Justin Timberlake

Jay Z

Justin Timberlake

Review and photos by Andy Argyrakis

As frequent collaborators in the studio, it was certainly a no-brainer to pair Justin Timberlake and the now hyphen-less Jay Z together on a stadium sized tour. Considering Timberlake's taken seven years to finish his third project "The 20/20 Experience" and it's been a four year wait for Jay Z to drop his dozenth solo disc "Magna Carta... Holy Grail," it wasn't a shocker to see the rhythmically-inclined duo pack even the cavernous Solider Field, and across more than two hours and practically 40 tunes, they gave fans of each act more than their money's worth.

Since it's essentially a toss up between who's more famous these days, the evening played out like a tag team between pals appearing together more than most might expect, and while there were certainly lengthy individual segments, it was the collaborations that truly transfixed the masses. The former 'N Sync star and Beyonce's hubby kicked off with Jay Z's "Holy Grail," followed by Timberlake's "Rock Your Body," trading raps and rhymes like lightening and turning each instantly familiar tune into driving anthems.

The tradeoff continued for nearly an hour, including a snippet cover of a shared influence (The Jackson 5's "I Want You Back"), plus other hugely selling staples like Jay Z's "Excuse Me Miss" and Timberlake's "Senorita," enhanced all the more by one another's company. After Justin's neo-soul grinder "Tunnel Vision," he turned the stage over to all-around entertainment mogul Shawn Carter for an extended section of hip-hop's most defining tunes from the past decade and a half.

Split between past and present, Jay Z tore through "Jigga What, Jigga Who," "U Don't Know," a cover of Kanye West's recent "Clique" and his own "99 Problems," all of which surpassed the other in terms of continually mounting momentum, adorned all the more by a shared backing band, brass section and quartet of background vocalists. Additional instrumental support came from part time guitarist/keyboardist Timberlake, who vibrantly added the latter during "Heart Of The City (Ain't No Love)," though it was "Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem)" that got the most hands in the air as his set's ultimate rap-a-long.

Without letting a moment taper after those Jay Z offerings, JT jumped right into the spotlight with the ambitious alternative soul jam "Pusher Love Girl," which was the first of many references to the genre's good old days he managed to translate through a modern lens. The most immediate example of his retro influences came out of "Until The End Of Time," a bedroom ballad in the caliber of The Isley Brothers or any other major '70s R&B act that simultaneously demonstrated kinship to fellow revivalist Robin Thicke. Yet it was "FutureSex/LoveSound" off his magnum opus of the same name that best displayed Timberlake's total package of sultry vocals, funky arrangements and even smoother dance steps.

The highlight reel wrapped up with another lengthy run together, once again building the mood until it reached an absolute frenzy. Jay Z's mighty "Dirt Off Your Shoulder" was a mere appetizer for his "Empire State Of Mind" (featuring on screen collaborator Alicia Keys) and JT's massive "Mirrors," while Jay's "Encore" and Justin's "SexyBack" made for even more scorching sizzlers. Throw in the guys' fellow old school throwback "Suit & Tie" (featuring the fellas sipping cocktails) or the fitting finale "Young Forever" (dedicated to Trayvon Martin), and the "Legends Of The Summer" tour truly lived up to its lofty title.

Justin Timberlake returns to Chicago headlining "The 20/20 Experience World Tour" on Sunday, February 16, 2014. Tickets go on sale Monday, July 29 with additional details at www.livenation.com and www.ticketmaster.com.