Hours before his appearance at the Dirty South Lounge in Springfield, Kelly posted a video on Instagram asking the media to "take it easy" on him because "this is how I got to get paid now, for right now."
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Kelly, 52, was charged in February with 10 counts of aggravated sexual abuse that accused him of assaulting four women during a roughly 10-year period starting in the late 1990s. Three of the accusers were underage at the time. He has pleaded not guilty and denied any wrongdoing.
Since his arrest, the cash-strapped singer has struggled to get work in the U.S., Kelly's lawyer Steve Greenberg wrote in a motion last month seeking permission for Kelly to perform in Dubai and meet with members of the sheikhdom's royal family.
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Kelly has been scrambling to pay child support, legal fees and everyday expenses because of the cancellation of Illinois concerts and a record contract, as well as the removal of his songs from streaming services, he wrote.
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Kelly's lawyers later put the motion on hold. Dubai's government denied that Kelly had any concerts planned there and the claims that he would meet with members of the royal family.
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About 100 people showed up for Kelly's appearance at the Springfield club, which has a 450-person capacity, TV stations WICS and WRSP reported. There was a $100 entrance fee, which was lowered to $50 once Kelly arrived at 1:30 a.m.
Kelly thanked supporters, sang a line from one of his songs for 28 seconds and spent about 35 minutes taking selfies, dancing and conversing with fans. The club closed at 3 a.m.
Some fans said it wasn't worth the $100 and that they wouldn't pay again. Fans also defended showing up at the event, saying they separate the accusations from the artist, the stations reported.