One of the biggest names in music was absent from the MTV Video Music Awards on Sunday night. As the likes of Kanye West and Miley Cyrus walked the red carpet on the West Coast, Chris Brown took the stage in New York during a stop on his One Hell of a Nite Tour.

Fans filled the seats at Nikon at Jones Beach Theater in Wantagh, New York at the sold-out concert, eagerly waiting for the R&B singer to hit the stage. Brown enlisted a five hip-hop artists to open for him on the summer tour, including Fetty Wap and Kid Ink.

Migos and Teyana Taylor were the first artists to take the stage, each performing short sets including hits like “Hannah Montana,” “Versace” and “Undercover.”

Omarion’s set was generally underwhelming. The DJ that was onstage with him was the saving grace, hyping up the crowd with Big Sean’s “I Don’t F**k With You” and Bobby Shmurda’s “Hot N***a.” Omarion closed out his performance with “Post to Be,” resulting in nearly every female audience member singing along to Jhené Aiko’s infamous line, “But he gotta eat the booty like groceries.”

Fetty Wap’s set was brief, but earned a louder reaction from the audience than the other four opening acts combined. The up-and-coming rapper performed “My Way,” “679” and his smash single “Trap Queen.” He later returned to the stage towards the end of Brown’s set to perform “Again.”

By the time Kid Ink started his set around 9 p.m., the audience seemed uninterested as they restlessly waited for Brown to take the stage. The concert – which kicked off at 7 p.m. – had yet to show any sign of the main act.

At 9:50 p.m., the lights finally went out and the entire audience stood up as Brown appeared onstage. He opened the show with “Run It!,” “Yo (Excuse Me Miss)” and “Poppin’” from his 2005 debut album.

Brown really came alive and showcased his talent when he performed “Love More” and “Look at Me Now.” His moves were sharp and he failed to miss a beat.

A video interlude of a half-naked woman briefly played on the screen before Brown came back onstage to slow things down with a series of sensual songs including “Body 2 Body,” “Take You Down” and “No Bulls**t.” Ironically, rain started to pour down on the audience in the outdoor arena as Brown sang “Wet the Bed.” He warned the audience, “It’s raining but we’re still gonna turn up!” before singing his verses from Meek Mill’s “All Eyes on You,” Nicki Minaj’s “Only” and DJ Khaled’s “How Many Times.”

Brown surprised fans by inviting French Montana onstage to perform hits like “Pop That,” “Poppin’ (Remix)” and “Ain’t Worried About Nothin’” before the show’s spark-filled, encore performance of “Ayo” and “Loyal.”

Despite making fans wait nearly three hours before hitting the stage, Brown made sure that the show was a night they’d never forget. His energy radiated throughout the Long Island arena and kept everyone singing and dancing along, even while they were getting drenched in rain.

Watch videos from Chris Brown’s show at Nikon at Jones Beach Theater below:

Image and videos via Nicholas Hautman