Better than Britney. More dynamic than Janet. Destiny's Child was all that and more this weekend as they wrapped up the MTV TRL tour in Blaisdell Arena on Friday night. Date with Destiny’s Child
gives fans a powerful showReviewed by John Berger
jberger@starbulletin.comIt was a great show for some very lucky fans. Rumors that the show would be canceled had been circulating less than 24 hours before the trio -- DC 3 for short -- took the stage. The other acts on the national TRL tour canceled out, and a second show scheduled for Sunday was canceled, but Destiny's Child came through.
The trio -- Beyonce Knowles, Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams -- gave an intense and powerful 70-minute show. They hit the stage smoking with a spectacular high-impact medley showcasing several of their biggest uptempo hits. The trio's stage attire provided plenty of color, flash, sass and class. They opened wearing gold lame shorts with matching tops and made a half-dozen costume changes.
The set list included not only their big pop chart hits -- "Bug A Boo," "Say My Name," "Jumpin' Jumpin'," "Survivor" and "Independent Women Part 1" -- but some of their strongest album tracks as well.
Some may choose to call some of the trio's hits to be male-bashing, but in reality Destiny's Child to date has been about equality and empowerment. "Bills, Bills, Bills," one of the biggest hits off their multi-platinum album, "The Writing's On The Wall," is a response to males who expect women to support them financially. The song got a huge response on Friday. So did "Independent Women Part 1," "Survivor" and "Bootylicious."
Knowles, performing with a thick mane of waist-length blonde braids, was clearly first among equals, but Rowland and Williams shared the spotlight throughout. All three got plenty of time on lead vocals. Each performed without the other two during a beautiful gospel segment.
The ability to perform a capella is the ultimate test for any vocal group. DC 3 did that beautifully as well.
The three got a solid wall of sound out of their small but competent band for most of the night. There were a few times when the mix was muddy but most of the crowd was probably watching Knowles, Rowland and Williams much too intently to notice.
It was hard to believe watching the trio that less than five years ago Destiny's Child was a regional act barely known outside Houston. With a long, growing list of hit songs and platinum albums to their credit, Destiny's Child are reigning pop mega-stars, and they reaffirmed that Friday night at the Blaisdell.
DisGuyz, a last-minute addition to the program, gave an impressive performance as the opening act, showing how much they have grown since opening for Christina Aguilera a year ago. They received a huge ovation with their closing number, "Our Nation In Song," which they wrote and recorded as a fund-raiser for September 11 attack victims.
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