Justin Timberlake @ 9:30 Club, August 25th

[Photo Credit]

Photo note: Tickets said "no camera/no recording." I didn't risk it. Once we got to the 9:30 Club it said "no flash photography"...you win some, you lose some. This shot is from his show in Anaheim according to the website, but this was the vibe. Timbaland and JT dressed to kill.

Opened with "Cry Me A River." Justin comes out with a suit and tie on. Nails the song. Throwing middle fingers, sexual motions (doggy, jerking off) during key parts of the Britney-influenced song. He has a ten piece band behind him. Four backup singers (two male, two female), two giutars, a keyboard far left, a keyboard far right that the bassist switches off with and a drummer. Phenomenal band. Some songs got some solo guitar action from the lead guitarist, very nice touch. "Cry Me A River" into "Senorita" into "My Love" (supposedly the next single). At times JT is playing guitar, other times he is behind the keys ("What Goes Around"). Setlist was laden with a lot of new songs, "What Goes Around" stood out for me. Great dance vibe to it, but slow in a sense. As the show rolled on he moved through his hits, as well as the new stuff, and eventually shed the jacket, the tie, until it was just an unbuttoned shirt and a wife-beater. The ladies were eating it up. He closed the main set with a "Rapper's Delight" riff extending into "Smells Like Teen Spirit" that flowed into "Rock Your Body" and then back into "Rapper's Delight." I want to say that he started that song off playing the guitar.

Justin can fucking dance. Did I mention that? It wasn't exactly showcased, but it was noticeable when he was effortlessly rocking out to the songs. What a talent. Lights go off, JT exits stage left. Crowd goes ape. Band kicks into "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)." Justin comes back out and they launch into "SexyBack." Enter Timbaland stage left, double-breasted suit with a huge grin on his face. "SexyBack" segues into "Promiscuous" (Nelly Furtado track, but featuring Timbaland and a JT cameo in the video) and then back to "SexyBack." Justin tells that crowd that he doesn't come to DC without doing "some fucking Go-Go." They roar into this go-go version of "SexyBack" and one by one he announces the members of the band and they depart. As the lead guitarist took his guitar off, Justin noted, "this muthafucka is from DC!" It closes out with a tight drum solo and only JT on stage. I left completely fucking impressed...