By Karu F. Daniels, AOL Black Voices

Never in my wildest dreams would I have imagined the impact that the annual 'Screamfest' tour would have on thousands of screaming youth.

But seeing was definitely believing when "Screamfest '07" rolled into the New Orleans Arena Aug. 3 for its opening night kick-off.

The Crescent City may still be feeling the devastating effects of Hurricane Katrina's ravage, but the spirit of the young, most black natives -- who attended last night's show -- was alive and kicking.

Radio-friendly recording artists such as Lloyd, Young Joc, T-Pain and newcomer Maleek helped warm up the crowd of excited young folks for the main event of headlining talent consisting of pop diva in-the-making Ciara and platinum-selling hip-hop artist T.I.

Though Ciara's set was riddled with technical problems, the well-choreographed chart-topping chanteuse made the best of what she could -- with the time she was allotted during the first portion of her set.

The audience's reaction, however, was a stark contrast when T.I. hit the stage.

As you can see from the live video clip below, T.I. owned the Arena -- like the rap king he professes to be -- as soon as he walked on the stage.

When Ciara, an official co-headliner of the 20-city tour, appeared on the super-sized stage, some seats were noticeably empty in the arena -- even during her striptease number (clad with stripper pole and an androgynous dance sequence with her two female dancers). Seasoned concert-goers have a knack for knowing when certain acts hit the stage and arrive accordingly. Others mull about other areas of the arena (concession stands, restrooms) until their favorites hit the stage.

This was evident with the frenzied over-drive that T.I. experienced -- a factor quite commonplace for veteran pop acts and rock groups who have sold millions of records within the course of a few years.

T.I.'s mere presence alone caused an over-swelling of all common areas of the venue, with some people clamoring to get a closer glimpse of the Atlanta hot boy -- sending security staff into overdrive mode to help take control of the situation.

And the huge reaction wasn't just coming from the women, either, who tend to be the demographic the seven year old tour mostly targets.. The hip-hop homies (decked out in flashy gold chains and dark designer shades) came out to show love to the man legally known as Clifford Harris as he rattled off a battalion of his most popular rhymes.

"Screamfest '07" will roll into a city near you throughout the remainder of the summer. Remaining tour dates and cities are listed below.

August 6 Dallas, TX Nokia Theatre
August 9 Cleveland, OH Wolstein Center at CSU
August 10 Chicago, IL Allstate Arena
August 11 St. Louis, MO Scottrade Arena
August 12 Kansas City, MO Kemper Arena
August 16 Detroit, MI Joe Louis Arena
August 17 Indianapolis, IN Indiana State Fairgrounds
August 18 Washington, DC Verizon Center
August 19 Hampton, VA Hampton Coliseum
August 21 Mansfield, MA Tweeter Center
August 22 New York, NY Madison Square Garden
August 23 Philadelphia, PA Wachovia Center
August 24 Baltimore, MD 1st Mariner Arena
August 25 Greensboro, NC Greensboro Coliseum
August 26 Atlanta, GA Philips Arena
August 29 Denver, CO Coors Amphitheatre
August 31 San Jose, CA HP Pavilion
September 1 Los Angeles, CA Gibson Amphitheatre
September 2 Los Angeles, CA Gibson Amphitheatre

Other hot clips from the Opening Night of "Screamfest '07" at the New Orleans Areana included ...

Murda Inc/Motown hip-hop soul crooner Lloyd performing his latest hit song "Get it Shorty."

Dirtry South hip-hop hunk Young Joc performing his break-out hit single "It's Going Down."

R&B chart-topper T-Pain performing his hit song "Buy You A Drank" featuring Young Joc.

More "Screamfest '07" Coverage

-- TI: Exploring Hard Times in The Big Easy

-- "Screamfest '07": Hip-Hop Talk Shop At City Hall in The Big Easy