Lauper ends with energy

Cyndi Lauper's New Year's show at the Sheraton Waikiki -- was it a 2007 or 2008 concert? Certainly, the show ended before midnight, as Lauper and her band joined other tipsy celebrants in time to see Waikiki's offshore fireworks display, kiss their mates and raise a glass in cheer. But Lauper's feel-good buzz extended well into New Year's Day, competing with hammering hangovers. Not that we're confessing anything.

Although Lauper's early annoyance with a finicky sound system was obvious to all as she and the band figured a work-around, she managed to surmount the problem and the show ended on a high note as the singer loosened up. Lauper even managed a kind of table dance during "Girls Just Want to Have Fun," leaping onto a wobbly table to sing, surrounded by revelers. It was also obvious to all that the act of singing transports Lauper into another plane.

Although Lauper is past the age when back flips come easily, she was energetic and athletic onstage and off. Her natural ability to relate to her audience, plunging right into the vortex of their adoration, created a memorable evening for many. It also filled up the memory cards on her fans' cell-phone cameras.