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A real rock star with
plenty of pop spectacle

Pink
Allstate Arena
Rosmeont, IL
September 26, 2009

Review by Andy Argyrakis
Photos by Terry Mayer

Tis' the season for carnivals, or more specifically, Pink's Funhouse and Britney Spears' Circus and their corresponding tours. Though like-minded in theme and demographic appeal, the two entertainers couldn't exactly be confused for one another as the colorful one is a rock n' roll singer in the truest sense and the former Mrs. Federline would be better described as a dexterous pop dancer (with a headset microphone firmly fastened the entire time).

While Pink is a rock chick at heart who's basically this generation's answer to Pat Benatar or Joan Jett, her first ever arena tour was loaded with pop spectacle, though never at the expense of actually singing. Sure, the mixture of giant guitar solos and her subsequent on key shout outs juxtaposed with over a half dozen costume changes and a troupe of dancers, double-decker stage and over the top choreography could perplex both rock and pop pursuits. But after nearly two hours of merging both sides of her personality, it was clear Pink could captivate equally with just her punchy vocal performance as her theatrical bent (a la Queen's Freddie Mercury, opposed to today's pop tarts).

In fact, she set that very balance in motion from the introduction of her belting out AC/DC's "Highway To Hell," which merged perfectly into the like-minded "Bad Influence." However, rather than simply sauntering on stage, she ascended to the rafters with a long-flowing, feathery dress that she soon shed upon landing across the hands of her gymnastic dancers. From there, she was a ball of energy, running up and down the ramp of a secondary stage like a crazed woman for "Just Like a Pill."

The balance of flashbacks and fresh cuts from Funhouse continued as "Don't Let Me Get Me" jabbed Britney and her microphone fiascos and "So What" was accompanied by a sexually-charged pillow fight (think Madonna's "Blonde Ambition" days). Showmanship aside, Pink was careful never to let the frills overshadow actual ability, as indicated during a stripped down acoustic set featuring the Bush-bashing "Dear Mr. President" (albeit an administration too late) and "Trouble."

She returned to adrenaline-induced intensity with a snarling rendition of Led Zepplin's "Babe I'm Gonna Leave You" and Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody," the latter of which featured a flamboyant dress code that fell somewhere between Mercury and Elton John. However, a bouncy version of Gnarls Barkley's "Crazy" was truly pushing it with the quantity of covers, even if the celebratory tune was a bookend to "Get the Party Started" (accompanied by obligatory confetti blasts and high wire acrobatics). Not only did Pink fully manifest her Funhouse creation, but she also established credibility in both rock and pop contexts, sure to have her peers shaking in their snake skins.

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