Beyonce live in Miami: Prince tributes, 'Boycott Beyonce' T-shirts and so much more - Los Angeles Times
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Beyonce live in Miami: Prince tributes, ‘Boycott Beyonce’ T-shirts and so much more

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Beyonce kicked off her “Formation” tour in Miami on Wednesday night, and by all reports it was more fun than smashing a street full of car windows.

For starters, there were several Prince tributes -- a stadium-sized singalong of “Purple Rain,” but also a great cover of Vanity 6’s tawdry hit “Nasty Girl,” one of the best singles to come from under Prince’s tutelage.

The set list was packed with “Lemonade” tracks, many performed live for the first time. Early fan favorites included the country-tinged “Daddy Lessons,” “Hold Up,” “Freedom,” “All Night,” “Sorry” and of course the stomping, defiant “Formation.”

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Though the album and accompanying film are essentially an hourlong ethering of her husband Jay-Z (or at least an inspired tale detailing the arc of spousal cheating and redemption), she thanked Jay during “Halo” and called him her “beautiful husband,” which was a nice gesture considering all he’s been through lately.

Opener DJ Khaled got in on the act too, bringing out almost his entire Snapchat network: Future, Lil Wayne, Rick Ross and many more.

But perhaps the highlight was the range of official and hilarious “Boycott Beyonce” shirts sold by vendors inside the stadium. They came in response to complaints from some, including the Miami Police Department, about the alleged anti-cop tone of her “Formation” video.

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Making money off sarcastic T-shirts and undercutting your critics? That’s some droll lemonade, made from some very inconsequential lemons.

Follow @AugustBrown for breaking music news.

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