George Michael in Concert

I'll admit, I was nervous about seeing George Michael live for the first time. On the one hand, he's George Michael, and he's touring after he'd previously said he never would tour, so I was excited just to get the chance to see him. On the other hand, he's 45; not exactly the spry young thing that gyrated his way through the 80s in WHAM!. I always answer that "If you were on a desert island and could bring one album" question with "Ladies and Gentleman," so what if I saw my music idol perform at a giagantic, super-expensive concert and he just seemed old and sad? Happily, there was no time to feel bad for Mr. Michael at his super-sized show. When I arrived, my seat got a crazy upgrade, and I could watch the sweet spectacle from just beyond the floor seats. Three huge screens, the biggest of which extended onto the floor, broadcast a combination of videos and trippy rainbow-hued light tones that pulsed to the music. He sang a few of his covers, and a few WHAM! hits and a lot of his own stuff. He stuck to the old favorites and didn't try any new tricks, for which the audience -- a surprisingly equal balance of queers and breeders -- was audibly grateful. He was one guy, performing every song, and while he took a 20-minute break he had no opening act. And he dressed like a cop to perform "Outside," parodying his ridiculous entrapment in 1998. While most celebrities would try to bury that stuff, George Michael broadcasts and laughs at it. And while he couldn't sing my favorite recent song of his, I started the concert clapping and singing along like someone's grandmother, but by the end, I was standing and screaming and swaying. I'm jealous of my friends who get to see him on Monday in New York.

RATING: 93%