In name alone, the Beyoncé Experience Tour evokes a multi-sensory mission. It's no surprise, then, that the Saturday night stop inside Toyota Center featured generous helpings of glitter, glamour and gyrating.

But for a few moments, early in the two hours-plus of performance, Beyoncé beamed like a high school homecoming queen.

"It feels so good to say Houston!" she shouted to the packed arena.

"I'm a H-town girl. I grew up on the Southside. I went to Welch Middle School. I went to the High school for the Performing (and Visual) Arts.

"I love Frenchy's Chicken."

It sent the crowd into rapturous roars, but the same would've likely happened without the hometown shout-outs. Simply put, Beyoncé is one of contemporary music's most thrilling live entertainers.

Yes, all the hits--and then some--were there, including almost every track from 2006's feverish, sometimes fantastic B'Day. But what elevated the Beyoncé Experience above standard diva fare were the inspired song alterations, setlist surprises and relaxed musical arrangements.

Her appearance earlier this year at the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo was billed as a sneak preview of the current tour. But there were few moments of deja vu (aside from the hit song, of course).

The seductive Baby Boy morphed into dancehall ditty Murder (S)he Wrote. Naughty Girl ran the gamut from disco steamer to full-on band jam. And aggressive cheating anthem Ring the Alarm was preceded by a clever take on Chicago showtune the Cell Block Tango.

Even the requisite onstage fan bit, during soul sizzler Speechless, worked effectively. It was largely thanks to a beaming male participant, who could only utter "I love you, B" when the singer asked his name.

The blaring strains of Crazy in Love proved a perfect kickoff, Beyoncé ascending from under the stage amid a cloud of smoke and lights. It was pure pop-goddess drama: flowy silver gown, windswept hair and a downpour of pyrotechnics.

Staging was impeccable, a manic display of (mostly) girl power. Dancers jumped in and out of sight, and the 13-member female band (three from Houston) offered tight riffs under a blaze of disco balls and Vegas lighting.

The frenetic calls of Freakum Dress were acompanied by a barrage of runway poses and fierce attitude. And Beyoncé sported a beaded bellydancing getup during Beautiful Liar, her recent duet with Shakira. (The Colombian superstar appeared via video.)

Ballads Me, Myself and I and Dangerously in Love 2 showcased a strong vocal range. But Beyoncé was at her best during Flaws And All, an artful, soaring ballad from the reissued B'Day disc. She played out the lyrics via animated facial expressions, even bursting into tears at the song's end.

Calculated sentiment? Perhaps. But it made for great drama.

Simpler fun came during a generous medley of Destiny's Child hits, which ran from debut hit No, No, No through Independent Women, Bootylicious, Survivor, Soldier and slow jam Cater 2 U. It was a show in itself, highlighted in part by Beyoncé's Wonder Woman-meets-Barbarella costume.

Workout groove Get Me Bodied, already a winning tune, made for a moment of pure, unpretentious joy. It had the walls quivering with its calls to "Do an old-school dance" and "Walk across the room like Naomi Campbell." The crowd gladly obliged, and even a few security guards seemed to be swaying to the beat.

Dreamgirls hit Listen was another powerful showcase, and nearing the end of her show, Beyoncé was ready for a break.

"I've been on this stage for almost two hours," she told the crowd. "Now, y,all gonna sang for me."

With that, the arena launched into lilting megahit Irreplaceable, crooning the entire first verse, chorus and--of course--the ubiquitous "To the left, to the left" command.

It was a spectacular exchange of energy and a perfect close to the show. But Beyoncé wasn't done. She returned in an orange minidress to vamp through hit Deja Vu before delivering thank yous and shout-outs to family members in the audience.

Southern girls--even those with multi-platinum careers--always remember their manners.

Opener Robin Thicke slipped into his multi-platinum falsetto quickly, opening with the deliciously dramatic 2 the Sky. He looked sharp in basic (unbuttoned) black, and his 45-minute set was a convincing showcase for sophomore disc The Evolution of Robin Thicke.

The son of actor Alan Thicke is a charismatic performer, at times like Justin Timberlake without the comic cockiness. His music is a savvy blend of easy soul flourishes and pop heartthrob sensibilities.

Thicke's supple voice was complemented by a spectacular four-piece band. Simmering breakout hit Lost Without U brought sizable chunks of the crowd to their feet, and females everywhere swayed to the bedroom groove.

A sparse early crowd was treated to a quick batch of tunes from Music World Entertainment newbie Katy Shotter. The U.K. cutie echoed Natasha Bedingfield on a few originals, including the snappy Complicated Woman and a sweet, soulful ballad that morphed into Alicia Keys' If I Ain't Got You.

By Joey Guerra,
Chron