The triple feature -- quadruple if you count Tamia, who sang only a few songs as the warm-up act -- performs again tonight.
Beyoncé was visually exciting with multiple costume changes -- from a sparkly short skirt set with bikini top to a yellow baby doll dress and a pink and silver hourglass gown -- but it was Alicia Keys who stole the spotlight.
Channeling James Brown and Tina Turner, Keys was jazz, soul, funk and rock, rolled into one. She melded the Jackson 5's ``Never Can Say Goodbye'' with Ray Charles' ``Night Time Is The Right Time'' and wailed her hits ``Fallin' '' and ``If I Ain't Got You.''
The five-time Grammy winner broke her singer-songwriter mold, leaving the piano bench to dance and conduct the band. The sensual soul-stress, who was decked out in hot pink bustier, jeans and thigh-high black boots, even climbed atop her piano, reaching for the keys while lying there.
In maybe the highlight of the evening, legendary Bay Area guitarist Carlos Santana joined Keys on ``A Woman's Worth.''
Where Keys had substance, Beyoncé had flash. The 22-year-old was carried onto stage like Cleopatra and greeted by barely dressed dancers. Video screens zoomed in and out and moved across the stage as the eight-time Grammy winner danced frenetically, speeding through her songs like ``Baby Boy,'' ``Naughty Girl,'' and ``Me, Myself and I.'' She did, however, sing a sweet a cappella version of Prince's ``Nasty Girl.''
Overall, however, the talented performer was overwhelmed by the glitz of her production and was often out of breath while catching up with the pace of the band.
In homage to Destiny's Child, the group that brought her fame, Beyoncé sang a medley of ``Say My Name,'' `` '03 Bonnie & Clyde,'' ``Jumpin' Jumpin''' and ``Survivor.'' For her encore, she sang ``Crazy in Love.'' Unlike at some of her other shows, boyfriend Jay-Z was not there to accompany her.
Elliott, a three-time Grammy winner, seemed to be crammed into the show. The usually dynamic performer fast-forwarded her hits so quickly that it overloaded the senses.
Changing outfits as quickly as songs, Elliott bounded along the stage and through the audience, leaving her bodyguards racing to catch up. The 32-year-old's dancers were a choreographer's dream, flipping, popping and breaking from every corner of the stage.
They also gyrated suggestively and upped the night's rating to a R. But, with all women performing for a mainly female audience, it definitely fit the theme of a girls' night out.
By Marian Liu,
Mercury News