When I look back on my life so far and there’s a flash of my top memories, the Renaissance Concert in Seattle, is one of them. There’s no exaggeration when I say I had a perfect day. For a day that I had been looking forward to the entire year, it surely lived up to the hype and anticipation. Because at the end of the day, Beyonce said my name and basically knows who I am. The best night of my life deserves it’s own blog post of course!
Renaissance Album as a Healing Instrument
This year has been the most challenging year I’ve personally experienced. In January, I discussed the aftermath of experiencing a layoff and my ensuing journey. The reality never quite met my optimistic expectations, with countless interviews followed by rejections pretty much right up until the month of September. The one thing I had to look forward to was the Renaissance concert. I thought, if I could just get through this, I would eventually be seeing Beyonce closer than I had ever seen her in Club Renaissance. Over the course of the year, Renaissance kept me going. I’d play “I’m That Girl” before meeting with hiring managers, reminding me that I truly AM that girl no matter what decision is made, no one can decide my worth. I took up running this year, and when I felt like the finish line was so far away, I knew that I just needed to get to “Virgos Groove” and I’d be on my way to conquering yet another 5K. And “Heated” was all I needed to shake off all that was worrisome and bring out the joy I had within me.
Renaissance is an album that gave me strength, joy, and confidence during the most trying time in my life. It’s a true testament to the beauty of the arts and what lyricism, instruments, and storytelling merged together can do to evoke a sense of emotion upon it’s audience. It’s the first Beyonce album that came without visuals, so I love that I truly got to fall in love with the songs independent of any other aspect besides what I could hear. I could only daydream about how these songs would come to life on the stage.
Club Renaissance Experience
- Arrival time to Lumen Field: 2:45pm
- Arrival to the actual VIP line: 3:00pm
- Doors opened: 6:00pm
- Show time start: 8:00pm
- Time Beyonce hit the stage: 9:13pm
Leading up to the concert, I was searching adamantly on TikTok to find out tips for Club Renaissance, especially what time to arrive to be at the very front touching the barricade. Let’s not forget, I had an all-red outfit that I meticulously picked out over a span of a month, just for Beyonce to specifically request fans to wear silver! I ended up swiftly purchasing a new outfit from Akira, which turned out to be better than my original idea. I completed all my beauty prep including lashes, nails, and prepping my no-leave out clip ins style as documented in my 7 day Renaissance countdown on my TikTok page.
It was a beautiful sunny day in Seattle on Thursday, September 14th. I was so nervous and excited that I could barely eat that morning. I brought water bottles and snacks for the day ahead. As I got to the stadium, the first line I saw was actually to get merch so I spedwalked to the VIP section for Club Renaissance and the Beyhive. I was 60th in line and we were instructed to write our number on our wrists with a black sharpie. I made line friends with two girls who were behind and in front of me. They each seen a show and already knew what to expect. I on the other hand, had been faithfully avoided all sorts of content online and only stopped to view each city’s “Mute Challenge”, Blue Ivy’s performance, and cute photos that Bey would post on Instagram. That’s it. And perhaps I already knew the opening song. But overall, I was in for a surprise.
The portable stool that I purchased on Amazon was a feet-saver, and I leveraged that to the highest extent. Knowing that I was 60th in line helped set my nerves at ease. I started looking around and saw dozens of fans with handmade signs and that was the LAST thing on my mind that I felt would make me content. I thought “Well, if I’ve already come this far and I’m going to be THIS close, then I NEED a sign”. The girl I had made friends with came with a double-bagged brown QFC bag with a lunch inside, and one of the staff members came by to let her know she’d have to throw the bag away. In my head, I thought about that bag plus the sharpie they’d handed off to us to write numbers on our wrist and got the idea of making a last-minute sign with just those two things. I said “why not” and asked the girl if I could use her bag. At first, I couldn’t find the sharpie in the line, so I went to the VIP check-in table to kindly request one. This part is a key part of the day because I could’ve easily just been content with making it early in line and gave up on creating a sign, but it was the perfect timing to be next to someone with a paper bag and a genius idea to make one last minute. In line, I made a sign that said “SAY HEYYYY MISS DAIZHA” and alas, I had done everything I felt I needed to prepare for the Renaissance Experience.
At around 4:30 pm, the line began to shuffle as the VIP line checked in at the tables and received our wristbands. We were then able to take photos with the Renaissance photo backdrop. This is when one of the Hive members let me know to be on the lookout for Beyonce’s staff wearing a silver shirt and a camera and to make sure I get my picture taken so I can be on her website (key details to remember). I took some cute pictures, then finally ate a filling burger and fry meal from a nearby food truck.
It didn’t feel like 3 hours had passed when the doors to enter the stadium began to open at 6pm. My heart was beating fast as I got ready to go through the security line. My stool made it inside the stadium; I was glad. After security there’s ANOTHER checkpoint I was not expecting where I had to pull up the tickets in Ticketmaster to scan the barcode. At this point, I am trying to stay calm and not panic, considering there are suddenly tons more people in front of us than earlier when I wrote the number 60 on my wrist. I am trying not to get any further behind. I finally get my ticket scanned and go stand by the girls I met. There’s not a true order inside based on arrival time and I start getting even more nervous as we start moving in and those who just scanned their tickets are merging in ahead of me. I said “nope not today” and scurried on upwards towards the front because this was a serious occasion. I shuffle in slowly and determined. I’d eaten, secured merch, gotten checked in and now it was time to see where I would be standing after all the research and prep I had done.
I had visions of me in the stadium already, walking up calmly to an almost filled banister right at the crossroads of the runway and the opening of the large stage circle, on the left side of the stadium. And exactly like my vision, I walked right up to that exact spot. I was amazed, thrilled and stunned! At this point, everything had gone as planned. Not only did I get a barricade spot, but it was the EXACT spot I had envisioned. This day was already so perfect! Now just had to wait it out until the show started and this is where an honorable mention to the stool must be included yet again because from 6pm to 8:30pm I was sitting pretty and resting my feet.
There was an abundance of room in Club Renaissance, and it didn’t start filling up until around 7:30/8:00pm. Around this time I saw a man with a silver shirt taking flash photos of fans and I promptly gathered myself and followed said man and asked for my photo to be taken. The anxiety-inducing Renaissance waiting music begins to play and for 30 minutes we are all waiting with bated breath for the queen to take the stage.
Welcome to the Renaissance
The screen begins to change. The visuals are loading. The sound is on and the instruments of “Dangerously in Love” begin to play. I then hear Beyonce say “Seattle, Washington..” and I begin to scream because she’s literally in the room with us at that point. Hearing her sing the very first song was a euphoric feeling. I don’t think I’ve ever cried at a concert of hers before but this time was different. This time I felt so present in the moment that had kept me going all year long. I was still here and still strong. Nothing from the year had broke my soul. My eyes filled with tears. The energy in the stadium was filled with such pure love and joy. It radiated all around me and within me. The first segment of ballads was a beautiful and artful choice that sparked emotion, joy, and gratitude within me.
Renaissance Begins
Alas, it’s time for the performance of songs from the Renaissance album. I absolutely LOVED her entrance in the silver robotic outfit alluding to the gold robotic BET Awards set from 2007 that I immediately recalled. Starting with “I’m That Girl” was only right. It was my first time seeing all of the choreography and I was HYPED! The camera work on the screen was amazing, the dancers, all of it was on point.
Highlights from the Show
- I loved the stage set and frame dancing for “Cozy”
- The pink outfit for “Break My Soul” was so cute
- The up close choreo for “Diva” was so exciting! Look how close she is!
- Lost my mind when Blue Ivy hit the stage. Baby girl KILLED IT! Amazing to see her on stage now.
- Did the Electric Slide in Club Renny during “Before I Let Go”
- What a treat seeing “Get Me Bodied” LIVE! This was on my bingo card for songs I’d love to see her perform
- It was only right that there was a disco ball floating towards the stage for “Virgo’s Groove”. That is exactly how I imagined it
- Loved the choreo for “Move”
- Gave everything I had in me to sing/scream along to “Heated” lol
- The Twins are brave and wild for swaying back and forth on those bendy poles during “America Has Problem”
- The dancers did their thing during the ballroom section of “Pure/Honey”.
The Moment That Changed Everything
Summer Renaissance starts playing, Beyonce is in her silver outfit with her horse Reneigh, and I am already fulfilled by an amazing show. She flies into the sky and confetti starts to swirl around the area. It’s literally like a dreamy scene from a movie. As she’s on the opposite side of the arena she begins shouting out fan’s names and I was like “wow how nice for them” thinking she’d probably come to my side for the last time. Low and behold, I look up to track the cords for where she’d be heading next in the air and it’s right above me. As she’s floating my way, I hold up my sign one…more…time. “DAIZHA!” she says loud and clear. AND I SCREAM! I heard my name come out of Beyonce’s mouth! She read my sign, said my name correctly and all. To end off a perfect and beautiful day, I get a shout out from Beyonce. I scream, I jump up and down. A day that’s so amazing just gets even sweeter. She sees my sign that I had made from a QFC bag out of all of those people in the arena, she says my name.
Life Lessons From Renaissance
Not only did Beyonce say my name, but a week later I find myself on her website! I reveled in the shoutout each and every day and on top of that I have a photo on her website now just to top everything off!
Beyond the euphoria, this experience has reinforced my belief that every event has its purpose and time. My instinct to make that sign, being at the right place at the right time, and witnessing the genius of Renaissance have all taught me one thing: I am exactly where I need to be. True joy is always within me and can’t be taken from me no matter what. Beyonce, the artist I have looked up to my whole life, looked at my sign and said my name. And for that, I am overjoyed. I am grateful for being able to witness the best concert I have ever been to. I am grateful for the artistry and the creativity that is Renaissance.
As always,
Take it step by step and DaibyDai