# The Real Thing Tour

The Real Thing Tour (also known as The Real Thing: An Evening with Jill Scott) is the fifth concert tour by American recording artist, Jill Scott. Visiting North America and Europe, the tour promoted the singer's third studio album, The Real Thing: Words and Sounds Vol. 3. The trek yielded the singer's first concert special for TV One entitled, Jill Scott: The Real Thing Tour (Live in Philly). The tour featured singers Raheem DeVaughn and Bilal as opening acts.

## Background

Stemming from the success of her album, Scott announced the tour through her website in December 2007 with 17 dates. In January, additional dates were released. Opening for Scott on tour was fellow neo soul singer, Raheem DeVaughn. To coincide with the tour, Hidden Beach decided to release the singer's second live album, Jill Scott: Live in Paris+. Filmed and recorded at the historic Élysée Montmartre, the CD/DVD package contains selected tracks from Scott's 2004 European tour. Additionally, it contains four new tracks from her current album, performed during her U.S. promotional tour. During the stint of the tour, Scott received a Grammy Award for Daydreamin'.
The singer Bilal also joined the tour as an opening act, in the midst of his own period of touring in the aftermath of his unreleased but leaked second album Love for Sale. His live band included pianist Robert Glasper, bassist Conley "Tone" Whitfield, and drummer Chris "Daddy" Dave.
The trek originally concluded in March 2008, however, Scott added additional dates in the United States during the summer, along with festival appearances in Europe. Once the tour was complete, Scott returned to Botswana to film the series The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency.

## Opening acts

* Raheem DeVaughn (North America—Leg 1)
* Bilal (North America—Leg 2)

## Set list

February 5 – March 30
* "Let It Be" (Instrumental Interlude)
* "The Real Thing"
* "Gimme"
* "Cross My Mind"
* "Honey Molasses"
* "Come See Me"
* "Crown Royal"
* "A Long Walk" (contains elements of "Everybody Loves the Sunshine")
* "Only You"
* "Whenever You're Around"
* "How It Make You Feel"
* "My Love"
* "Wanna Be Loved"
* "The Fact Is (I Need You)" (contains elements of "Send For Me")
* "Not Like Crazy"
* "Epiphany" (contains elements of "This Place Hotel")
* "Slowly Surely" (contains elements of "Stakes Is High")
* "Golden"
* "Hate on Me"
* "It's Love" (contains elements of "Crank That (Soulja Boy)")

### Encore

* "The Way"
* "He Loves Me (Lyzel in E Flat)"
* "And I Heard...(Do You Understand)"
June 18 – August 28
* "Rightness"
* "Let It Be"
* "The Real Thing"
* "A Long Walk"
* "Epiphany"
* "Insomnia"
* "Only You"
* "Whenever You're Around"
* "Slowly Surely"
* "The Way"
* "How It Make You Feel"
* "Do You Remember"
* "Come See Me"
* "Imagination (Crown Royal Suite)"
* "Gimme"
* "It's Love"

### Encore

* "Golden"
* "Hate On Me"
* "He Loves Me (Lyzel In E Flat)"
* "And I Heard...(Do You Understand)"

## Tour dates

| Date | City | Country | Venue |
| North America—Leg 1 ||||
| February 5, 2008 | Seattle | United States | Paramount Theatre |
| February 7, 2008 | Oakland | United States | Paramount Theatre |
| February 8, 2008 | Oakland | United States | Paramount Theatre |
| February 12, 2008 | Anaheim | United States | The Grove of Anaheim |
| February 14, 2008 | Los Angeles | United States | Gibson Amphitheatre |
| February 16, 2008 | Phoenix | United States | Dodge Theatre |
| February 19, 2008 | Grand Prairie | United States | Nokia Theatre at Grand Prairie |
| February 20, 2008 | Houston | United States | Verizon Wireless Theater |
| February 22, 2008 | Atlanta | United States | Fox Theatre |
| February 23, 2008 | Atlanta | United States | Fox Theatre |
| February 26, 2008 | Baltimore | United States | Lyric Opera House |
| February 27, 2008 | Baltimore | United States | Lyric Opera House |
| February 28, 2008 | Norfolk | United States | Chrysler Hall |
| March 2, 2008 | Greensboro | United States | War Memorial Auditorium |
| March 3, 2008 | Greensboro | United States | War Memorial Auditorium |
| March 5, 2008 | Newark | United States | Prudential Hall |
| March 6, 2008 | Newark | United States | Prudential Hall |
| March 7, 2008 | Philadelphia | United States | Liacouras Center |
| March 9, 2008 | Boston | United States | Orpheum Theatre |
| March 11, 2008 | Washington, D.C. | United States | DAR Constitution Hall |
| March 12, 2008 | Washington, D.C. | United States | DAR Constitution Hall |
| March 14, 2008 | Washington, D.C. | United States | DAR Constitution Hall |
| March 15, 2008 | Washington, D.C. | United States | DAR Constitution Hall |
| March 16, 2008 | Richmond | United States | Landmark Theater |
| March 19, 2008 | Pittsburgh | United States | Benedum Center |
| March 21, 2008 | Detroit | United States | Fox Theatre |
| March 22, 2008 | Chicago | United States | Chicago Theatre |
| March 23, 2008 | Chicago | United States | Chicago Theatre |
| March 25, 2008 | Indianapolis | United States | Murat Theater |
| March 26, 2008 | St. Louis | United States | Fox Theatre |
| March 28, 2008 | Memphis | United States | Orpheum Theatre |
| March 29, 2008 | Memphis | United States | Orpheum Theatre |
| March 30, 2008 | Birmingham | United States | Boutwell Memorial Auditorium |
| North America—Leg 2 ||||
| June 18, 2008 | Bridgeport | United States | Klein Memorial Auditorium |
| June 20, 2008 | New York City | United States | Carnegie Hall |
| June 28, 2008 | Hampton | United States | Hampton Coliseum |
| June 29, 2008 | Charlotte | United States | Ovens Auditorium |
| July 1, 2008 | Nashville | United States | Jackson Hall |
| July 3, 2008 | Houston | United States | Verizon Wireless Theater |
| July 4, 2008 | New Orleans | United States | Louisiana Superdome |
| Europe ||||
| July 9, 2008 | Warsaw | Poland | Congress Hall |
| July 11, 2008 | Rotterdam | Netherlands | Rotterdam Ahoy |
| July 12, 2008 | Montreux | Switzerland | Miles Davis Hall |
| July 14, 2008 | Antwerp | Belgium | Openluchttheater Rivierenhof |
| July 15, 2008 | Paris | France | Le Grand Rex |
| July 18, 2008 | London | England | Brixton Academy |
| July 20, 2008 | Amsterdam | Netherlands | Paradiso |
| July 22, 2008 | Monte Carlo | Monaco | Salle des Étoiles |
| North America—Leg 3 ||||
| July 26, 2008 | Cincinnati | United States | Paul Brown Stadium |
| July 27, 2008 | Detroit | United States | Chene Park Amphitheater |
| July 30, 2008 | Atlanta | United States | Chastain Park Amphitheater |
| August 2, 2008 | Columbia | United States | Merriweather Post Pavilion |
| August 3, 2008 | Atlantic City | United States | Borgata Events Center |
| August 7, 2008 | Kansas City | United States | Starlight Theatre |
| August 8, 2008 | Chicago | United States | Charter One Pavilion |
| August 9, 2008 | Cleveland | United States | Allen Theatre |
| August 11, 2008 | New York City | United States | Wingate Field |
| August 15, 2008 | New York City | United States | Highline Ballroom |
| August 26, 2008 | San Francisco | United States | Yoshi's Jazz Club |
| August 27, 2008 | San Francisco | United States | Yoshi's Jazz Club |
| August 28, 2008 | San Francisco | United States | Yoshi's Jazz Club |

### Cancellations and rescheduled shows

| August 12, 2008 | New York City | Central Park SummerStage | Cancelled |

### Box office score data

| Venue | City | Tickets Sold / available | Gross Revenue |
| Paramount Theatre | Oakland | 5,654 / 6,030 (94%) | $352,490 |
| Gibson Amphitheatre | Los Angeles | 5,654 / 5,987 (94%) | $296,675 |
| Dodge Theatre | Phoenix | 2,626 / 3,770 (70%) | $139,062 |
| Nokia Theatre at Grand Prairie | Grand Prairie | 4,868 / 4,868 (100%) | $262,374 |
| Verizon Wireless Theater | Houston | 4,988 / 4,988 (100%) | $284,531 |
| Fox Theatre | Atlanta | 8,852 / 8,852 (100%) | $551,325 |
| Prudential Hall | Newark | 4,795 / 5,370 (89%) | $354,785 |
| Liacouras Center | Philadelphia | 7,412 / 7,575 (98%) | $366,622 |
| Orpheum Theatre | Boston | 2,640 / 2,749 (96%) | $121,520 |
| Fox Theatre | Detroit | 4,793 / 4,839 (99%) | $299,865 |
| Chicago Theatre | Chicago | 7,082 / 7,082 (100%) | $418,659 |
| Murat Theater | Indianapolis | 2,513 / |2,513 (100%) | $125,427 |
| Merriweather Post Pavilion | Columbia | 12,237 / 15,000 (81%) | $634,332 |
| Charter One Pavilion | Chicago | 4,771 / 7,290 (65%) | $263,545 |
| Allen Theatre | Cleveland | 2,362 / 2,504 (94%) | $143,398 |
| TOTAL | TOTAL | 81,247 / 89,417 (91%) | $4,614,610 |

## Broadcasts and recordings

The tour was recorded for a concert special on the U.S. based TV One. The special, Jill Scott: The Real Thing Tour (Live in Philly), was filmed in Scott's hometown of Philadelphia at the Liacouras Center. For a crowd of over seven thousand, Scott performed tracks from her newest album, along with her greatest hits. The special aired June 29, 2008.

## Personnel
### Crew

* Lighting Designer: Martin Thomas
* Lighting Crew Chief: Wayne Bukovinsky
* Lighting Technician: Dylan Haines
* Musical Director: Noel Terrell