So . . . I always say I have been ridin’ with Justin Timberlake for a long time. “Gone” by N*Sync is still heavy in rotation over here! And, some of his hits have been the soundtrack to some really good moments in my life. So to say I was thrilled to check out the Man of the Woods Tour would be a huge understatement!

Now before I get into the meat of the show, I want to shout out Justin Timberlake and his awesome publicist, because when I decided to take the plunge and start my own blog after 20 years of covering entertainment, the first tour I covered as credentialed media was The 20/20 Experience Tour, so WHOOP! WHOOP! to them! Phashion Phish has been a labor of love at times, but the peaks like covering my favorite artists, totally trump the valleys. Now, back to the review!

A Justin Timberlake concert never disappoints. With this being my third time seeing him live, I’m always excited to see what new things he brings to his live performances, rather it’s a cool new stage, arrangement, or wardrobe.

Justin Timberlake performs at the Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, MI for the Man of the Woods Tour (Marissa Pierce/Phashion Phish).

The show starts with one of my favorites from the new album, “Filthy” and it sets the tone for a DANCE PAR-TAY! Justin goes through his extensive catalog pulling out hit after hit, and going all the way back to his first album Justified with “Rock Your Body”. On this journey Justin fully utilizes his stage that reminds me of a path in the woods, completely playing into the Man of the Woods theme, with decorative trees on the stage, and at one point a grassy area and campfire. The medley around the campfire with his backup singers may have been one of my favorite parts of the show, and was a great opportunity for the singers to showcase their skills with covers of “Dreams” by Fleetwood Mac, “Ex-Factor” by Lauryn Hill, “Come Together” by The Beatles, and “Thank God I’m a Country Boy” by John Denver.

Justin also digs deep into his catalog to perform fan favorites, “Suit & Tie”, “Cry Me a River”, and “Can’t Stop the Feeling”, accompanied by the dance moves he’s known for and I even found myself doing the choreography to “My Love” during the show!

Justin Timberlake NEVER disappoints and the Man of the Woods Tour is a must see for a JT fan and even a newbie. I saw a couple men in the audience that clearly were attending their first show, but they sang at the top of their lungs when “SexyBack” started up. That’s probably the most fun thing about concerts, the audience becomes one! And, for one night we get to all be Justin Timberlake’s back up singers!

Justin Timberlake has never lacked in the soul department. From his beginnings as a Mouseketeer and member of 'N Sync, he always stood out as the member that was the most soulful and in tune with R & B music. Even joking with Kevin Hart on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, " . . . pretty sure I thought I was black then anyway", after being chided about the lack of a black member in 'N Sync.

Many a fan will point to "Gone" as Justin's official foray into Blue Eyed soul, carrying the torch for the always relevant Hall and Oates and the often imitated, never duplicated Gino Vannelli.

When The 20/20 Experience was released last year to great reviews and accolades, it was accompanied by The Legends of the Summer Tour with Jay Z and The 20/20 Experience World Tour. With these tours, Justin filled a void for "real" performances, meaning real singing, dancing, a live band, and the showmanship that makes you NOT regret shelling out $100 plus for a night out.

We had the pleasure of seeing The Legends of the Summer Tour and were excited to see what Justin would do solo, and on his recent stop of The 20/20 Experience World Tour at The Palace of Auburn Hills; he did not disappoint!

Justin jumps feet first into the show, kicking it off with "Pusher Love Girl" and continues on an exploration of all of his hits! He digs deep into his catalog, with songs from Justified including "Like I Love You" and Cry Me a River", along with songs from FutureSex/LoveSounds and The 20/20 Experience.

The full set list included a staggering 20 plus songs!

We especially enjoyed his time at a white piano that appeared from under the stage for, "Until the End of Time". Justin showed his prowess on many instruments during the night including an acoustic guitar for "What Goes Around . . . Comes Around".

Justin also stepped the wardrobe game up with Neil Barrett designed ensembles for not only himself, but also his backup singers, band, and dancers; to keep the look of a Dapper Don going strong, throughout the night.

The stage design was also a memorable one featuring a portion of the stage that lifted and floated above the crowd, making a journey where Justin, his backup singers, and dancers were able to interact with the crowd as they made their way to the B stage. At the B stage the crowd interaction continued, with tributes to Elvis Presley, singing "Heartbreak Hotel" and Michael Jackson, with "Human Nature". The B stage, which is a new phenomenon in the concert world, is a great way for an artist to be visible all over the venue! We really like seeing it and hope that it becomes the new norm.

What's really enjoyable about a Justin show IS his interaction with the crowd! On many instances he stops to talk to audience members. At one point during the night he sung "Happy Birthday" to Reema, which after much witty banter about the spelling of her name, he remarked, " . . . with two e's motherfucker". The crowd erupted into laughter! There was also another audience member who was celebrating a birthday, turning 30; to which Justin said, " . . . that's a totally different birthday from 24. She don't know shit." You can really tell that he enjoys what he does. He's not just drudging through the performance, which on a long world tour could always become a possibility.

Justin also made points throughout the night to take it old school with "Let the Groove Get in" morphing into "Shining Star" by Earth, Wind, and Fire at the end. He also did a performance of "Jungle Boogie" by Kool and the Gang. But for all the 80's babies in the audience, himself included, Justin broke down BBD's "Poison", complete with their dance moves! Along with a few shout outs of "The roof, the roof, the roof is on fire . . . ", Justin reminded us why growing up in the 80's was the best!

After finishing up the show, to a roaring crowd Justin returns for his encore, asking "Y'all don't want to go home, yet?", before breaking into "SexyBack" and "Mirrors".

Justin is a true showman, with the voice and dance moves to make any show by him a special one! Along with his full band, dancers, and backup singers the night is one full of non-stop energy and excitement!

Auburn Hills, MI - July 28: Justin Timberlake performs on The 20/20 Experience World Tour at The Palace of Auburn Hills on Monday, July 28th, 2014. (Photo by Marissa Pierce/Phashion Phish)

Auburn Hills, MI - July 28: The horn section performs on The 20/20 Experience World Tour at The Palace of Auburn Hills on Monday, July 28th, 2014. (Photo by Marissa Pierce/Phashion Phish)

Auburn Hills, MI - July 28: Justin Timberlake's back up singers perform on The 20/20 Experience World Tour at The Palace of Auburn Hills on Monday, July 28th, 2014. (Photo by Marissa Pierce/Phashion Phish)

Man of the Woods, and a Man of the Dance Floor!

He's Got Soul, and He Knows How to Use it!