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Singer entertains with fast-paced 90-minute show Christina Aguilera gives fans the ‘Basics' — and lots more
By REGINA SCHAFFER Staff Writer, (609) 272-7211
Published: Monday, April 2, 2007
ATLANTIC CITY — There was a time — say, eight or nine years ago — when Christina Aguilera was just one of several pretty, young, blonde singers competing for a piece of the pop music pie.

It's safe to say those days have passed.

Aguilera, who came to Boardwalk Hall Saturday night to promote her album "Back to Basics," proved that she has earned her stripes as an entertainer. The singer brought a 90-minute show that included more then a dozen costume changes and a constantly evolving stage set — at one moment a circus carnival, the next a USO performance for "Candyman", the next a real-life scene from "Moulin Rouge." All of that, combined with a fantastic eight-piece band and acrobatic backup dancers, made for a fast paced performance that left the audience wanting more.

Aguilera's "Back to Basics" tour pays homage to great jazz and R&B; singers over the decades. There were a number of references to the singer's musical influences, like Edda James, Marvin Gaye and Gladys Knight, and their sounds are evident in the new album, which is a mix of pop, jazz and blues. The singer also enjoyed poking fun at her new "softer" image (she recently ditched the facial jewelry, raunchy dancing and crazy hairstyles for a more glamourous look), flashing newspaper headlines across the big screens like "Christina goes from 'dirrty' to demure" and "Christina cleans up her act."

Still, Aguilera still has some dirty girl in her. While those newspaper clips flashed, Aguilera donned black lace thigh-highs and a white bodysuit, singing "Slow Down Baby." And for that, she makes no excuses.

"Who's sick and tired of all the double standards between men and women?" Aguilera asked the cheering crowd.

Aguilera's show also seemed to parallel another famous pop star's recent tour. Madonna fans in attendance Saturday may have noticed some similarities to last summer's "Confessions" tour. Instead of hanging from a crystal-studded cross like Madonna, Aguilera hung from a giant circus pinwheel. Instead of riding a carousel horse to "Like a Virgin," Aguilera rode a carousel horse to "Dirrty." Instead of wearing a riding outfit with a whip, Aguilera wore a dominatrix outfit with a whip. Then there was the movie montage of Aguilera's evolving look — her with blonde hair, pink hair, grey hair, that Twisted Sister hair (remember that look?), the nose ring, the chin ring. Yeah, Madge did that too, though it must be said that Aguilera has created her own unique looks.

One small gripe — Aguilera is at a point in her career where she has amassed enough hits that not all of them may make it into the show. Still, no "Genie in a Bottle?" A salsa version of "Come on Over?" The singer has come a long way for sure, but she shouldn't be above playing the hits that got her here.

Still, it's hard to complain about a singer who went pretty much non-stop. And with Aguilera's amazing vocals, she doesn't even need all the pageantry. It was just icing on the cake.

Getting the crowd hot and bothered before Aguilera even took to the stage was the Pussycat Dolls, who have been topping pop radio charts with a consistent string of dance hits like "Don't Cha," "Buttons," and "Wait a Minute". The girls, who came on stage wearing glorified lingerie and doing dance moves with plenty of panting and squat thrusts, made it clear immediately that they owned their sexuality. They make no apologies for their in-your-face racy lyrics. Just an example: "I know you're playing with you're (beep) while you're looking at my (beep)." (That song, by the way, is called "Beep," — and actually uses a beep sound in place of whatever you may be thinking.) Sure, they're provocative, but they're entertaining, sexy, and, better yet, they can sing. Their debut album, "PCD," has already sold more then 6 million copies.

The show started on time with opening act Danity Kane. The five-girl group, made famous by hip hop mogul Diddy on his MTV reality show "Making the Band," has the major advantage of a built-in fan base from the television show. That means the group got plenty of love from the crowd, despite a mediocre performance. That's not to say Danity Kane hasn't come a long way since the show. All five looked the part of pop singers and clearly got some lessons in how to work the stage, but the girls appeared at times to be uncomfortable and unpolished.

To e-mail Regina Schaffer at The Press:
Rschaffer@pressofac.com

One member, Aubrey, wore a silver mini dress so short her pink underwear was visible throughout the set — something that could have come off as sexy if she didn't awkwardly tug on the bottom of her dress throughout the performance. Danity Kane just need to decide what their "look" is going to be, commit to it and fine-tune their act.

Overall, both opening acts were a great warm-up for Aguilera's performance. Fans were treated to more then three hours with their favorite pop stars, with only brief breaks between the acts. Aguilera, for her part, brought a show that is hard to top.

"This is just the beginning for me," Aguilera told the crowd. "And we got a long way to go."

If there are more performances like this in store, we hope so.

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