Crítica «FutureSex/LoveShow»: Buffalo

Timberlake sheds boy-band fluff

Justin Timberlake made a name for himself as leader of a boy-band. Since fleeing *NSYNC, he’s been trying to re-create himself as a serious modern R&B artist, his own generation’s Prince.

Sunday evening, before an ecstatic HSBC Arena crowd, Timberlake made some serious strides toward the credibility often denied to former teen sensations. His performance, and that of his incredible band, was astounding, on both musical and sheer entertainment levels.

Newsflash: Timberlake is a hit with the ladies – regardless of their age, apparently. Sunday’s show found everyone from preteens to middle-aged moms joining in the screaming.

The men seemed to dig it too, and teen boys dressed like their idol – sweater, tie, cocked fedora, well-maintained razor-stubble – acquiescent husbands, and even a few members of the Buffalo Sabres, succumbed to Timberlake’s charm. Most of the beautifully choreographed show – presented in the round – revolved around Timberlake’s «FutureSex/LoveSounds» record.

Unlike so many of his top 40 hip-hop/pop/R&B contemporaries, Timberlake has surrounded himself with some serious players and singers, and every ounce of soul that emanated from the estimable PA was fully earned, played and sung in real-time.

Timberlake is a great dancer, whose moves, happily, display a levity and sense of humor that makes them much more enjoyable than the narcissistic burlesque of much modern hip-hop.

But he’s a singer first and foremost, and he sang the hell out of the «FutureSex» material Sunday, whether indulging in rapid-fire hip-hop phrasing, luxuriating in an incredible falsetto, or massaging the long, liquid notes during some quite well-composed ballads.

The show opened with an audio montage of «FutureSex/LoveSounds», and while Timberlake and band appeared as shadows behind magnificent scrims, the crowd’s anticipatory screaming sounded like a jet taking off. When the screens dropped, Timberlake dove headlong into his performance, mixing choreographed moves performed in tandem with his dancers, and impromptu dashes from one side of the stage to the other, all the while singing strongly, perfectly in tune, and with considerable soul.

«Like I Love You» and «My Love» followed, and the wonderful funk-soul blend of Timberlake’s band became apparent. This was not the soulless, plastic, prefabricated computer-funk that permeates modern R&B, but rather, a fluid, organic and dynamic performance blending old-school funk, straight radio pop and dance music.

Timberlake fully invests himself in ballads, and «Until the End of Time», which found him seated at the piano – yes, he was really playing it, not employing it as a mere prop, and he could be heard clearly in the mix, which was excellent throughout the show – was a highlight of the evening.

«What Goes Around», an epic pop ballad/kiss-off, was pretty close to transcendent, Timberlake’s piano figure and the lush, layered harmony vocals conspiring to create a baroque slab of pop music.

Pink opened the show with a well-received set of punk-edged pop tunes, and she too was excellent.

Like Timberlake, Pink surrounded herself with a top-notch band, and freely crossed genre-lines throughout her show. There was jittery punk-pop ( «Trouble» ), a folk protest song (the excellent, incisive «Dear Mr. President» ), grandiose rock balladry («Family Portrait» ), and straight-up club jams (the «Get the Party Started/Sweet Dreams Are Made of This» medley, during which Pink performed a sort of trapeze act dangling high above the stage).

The whole evening suggested that contemporary top 40 pop need not be redundant, soulless and lacking in imagination. Timberlake and Pink both celebrated the timeless art of the sugary pop song – catchy, not too deep, but delivered with real passion.

Both their performances also acknowledged the benefit of working with fantastic musicians and singers, avoiding lip-synching and relying too heavily on preprogrammed beats, and letting the soul shine through.

A wonderful night, from start to finish.