Powerful storms and power outages did little to put a damper on a night out at Credit Union 1 Amphitheatre last week.
Legendary R&B and hip-hop pairing of Akon and Ne-Yo brought their Nights Like This Tour 2026 to Tinley Park on July 28, and damn was it a ride down memory lane.
Kicking things off was an unexpected opener in Sej out of Trinidad and Tobago. She performed such a handful of songs alongside a pair of dancers, including her new song “Body.” This got things going in the right direction.
As Sej finished, it took only a moment before Ne-Yo took the stage, and this was unique: he performed just six songs! He opened with his hit “Closer” as well as “Because Of You,” “One In A Million” and “Sexy Love.” Ne-Yo was flanked by a live band, brass instruments and backup vocals as well as dancers.
From there, Akon took the stage, performing just seven songs. You’ll see why soon. Akon performed “Smack That,” “Locked Up” and “Soul Survivor.” Akon was joined on stage by the same live band but a new crop of dancers all his own. His set also featured flames during “Locked Up.”
Unfortunately, as the only credentialed photographer that night, I was unable to watch the full set after my three-song limit was up for each artist. But the theme of the tour is that Akon and Ne-Yo swapped in and out all night. In total, the duo played a 55-song set that saw them on stage alone and together in the middle portion of the performance as well as for the final song of the night.
Tinley Park was rocking that night, as a seemingly heavy millennial crowd packed the place to watch these two legends perform.
