Above: Christina Aguilera performs "Hurt" in December 2006.
A dozen gorgeous female vocalists graced the stage in Kemper Arena Saturday evening.
The five women of Danity Kane delighted the audience of approximately 14,000. And the six fetching members of the Pussycat Dolls demonstrated remarkable dancing prowess. But their efforts were rendered superfluous after a stunning 90-minute performance by headliner Christina Aguilera.
As with her opening acts, Aguilera's sexually-charged show exposed plenty of skin. Yet Aguilera's appeal is much more substantial. Should the day come when Aguilera is no longer a ravishing beauty, her powerhouse voice and artistic vision will be appreciated without surface distractions.
Based on the strength of her performance Saturday, the 26-year-old Aguilera may eventually be elevated to the ranks of Frank Sinatra, Aretha Franklin and Barbara Streisand as an iconic voice of her time.
Her set began in dramatic fashion. A curtain raised to reveal the star dressed in a tight white suit atop a sliding staircase. She tore into her monstrous hit "Ain't No Other Man." It was one of a dozen songs from last year's "Back To Basics" album in the 18-song set. The release evokes vintage American music, from '40s swing to '60s soul.
Aguilera belted out its "Understand" with a deep conviction worthy of the finest soul singers. The fact that she did it while deliberately flashing her legs makes it an even more remarkable achievement.
The platinum blonde's tiny body belies her enormous voice. While the multi-octave flash she regularly unleashed early in her career may have spawned legions of misguided imitators, not once did Aguilera indulge in a gratuitous display of vocal prowess. Her lustrous voice was always in service of the song. Such restraint paid dividends on the deeply moving ballads "Hurt" and "Beautiful." These emotional touchstones were the evening's highlights.
Also effective was "Oh Mother."
"I endured a lot of domestic violence in my household," Aguilera said before singing the autobiographical song as brutal images flashed across three video screens. Such moments make the self-referential "Still Dirrty" and her provocative interpretation of "Lady Marmalade" feel all the more tawdry.
When she first topped the charts in 1999, Aguilera seemed like just another disposable teen pop singer. She's clearly disavowing that stage; she didn't even perform her debut hit "Genie In a Bottle." Aside from frequent appearances in tabloids, Aguilera no longer has much in common with other pop stars.
Classics by Dinah Washington, Irma Thomas and Millie Jackson blasted through the arena prior to Aguilera's set; she's now drawing inspiration from those durable R&B artists.
A terrific 12-piece band and a troupe of dancers complemented Aguilera. Her intricate production included numerous costume changes and a circus-themed segment replete with trapezes and torch jugglers. These elements added to the visual feast, but Aguilera's talent doesn't require such props. She was fabulous.
The sugary pop confections of the Pussycat Dolls were eagerly lapped up by the predominantly female audience. Offerings like "Stickwitu" and "Don't Cha" were performed to burlesque-based choreography. One of the apparent perks of being "the lead Pussycat Doll," as Snoop Dogg calls her on the hit "Buttons," is that Nicole Scherzinger wore somewhat less revealing costumes than her colleagues. Scherzinger acquitted herself well as she sang most of the group's lead vocals.
The group's Kimberly Wyatt received a huge ovation when she introduced
herself as "your hometown girl." She was born in Warrensburg, Mo.
Danity Kane, the product of a television reality show, began the night by disrobing the moment the stage lights hit them. Although their brief set was marred by a muddy sound mix, their hit "Show Stopper" was well-received.
Christina Aguilera's setlist: Ain't No Other Man; Back In the Day; Understand; Come On Over (All I Want Is You); Slow Down Baby; Still Dirrty; Makes Me Wanna Pray; What a Girl Wants; Oh Mother; Enter the Circus; Welcome; Dirrty; Candyman; Nasty Naughty Boy; Hurt; Lady Marmalade; Beautiful; Fighter.
| Bill Brownlee, Special to The Star
hi i have a foot fetish and wud like 2 know if christina showed her feet cuz if she did i will go i want to kknow if she is ticklish too
Posted by: joe | March 06, 2007 at 10:32 AM