Beyonce's U.S. tour was looking like it might be cursed after stray pyrotechnics injured fans in St. Louis and -- last week -- the star's much-YouTubed face plant at a concert in Orlando. So all eyes (and video phones) were on the diva as she took the stage Sunday at Charlotte Bobcats Arena.

Everyone seemed to be holding their breath as she descended the stairs during the opening of "Ring the Alarm" (during which she'd fallen in Orlando). The place erupted in screams as she completed her walk.

The only inclination she gave of a rough week were a few tears sliding down her face during "Flaws and All" as she sang the lyrics "you catch me when I fall."

Thicke and voluptuous

White soul singer Robin Thicke opened, performing an hour of tracks from his recent album "The Evolution of" The crowd exhibited the best sing-along skills this side of U2's "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" during Thicke's "Lost Without U" and continued the booming choruses for Beyonce's set.Fans ran to their seats as the lights went down shortly after 9 p.m. Beyonce and her 13-piece all-female band hit the stage to "Crazy In Love." The crowd delighted in the singer's voluptuous backup dancers shaking it at the front of the stage along with their boss. It was the night's most empowering moment for plus-size ladies.

The catwalk-ready "Freakum Dress" followed. The fashion maven's eight different costumes, ranging from garish to glitzy, took a cue from Barbie, going from evening gown to micro-mini in a snap. A vision of blonde hair and body glitter, she emerged in a sequined green-and-black bra top and skirt for the Latin and island-flavored "Baby Boy,{quot} "Beautiful Liar,{quot} and "Naughty Girl."

Vegas-style gyrations

The rest of the show was a Vegas-style spectacle, especially the female dancer's revenge-themed intro to "Ring the Alarm." Beyonce and her ten dancers gyrated through a lengthy medley of Destiny's Child hits. The sing-along heavy "Soldier" and "Independent Women Part 1" stood out from the mix. Because of her near-perpetual state of movement, Beyonce didn't sing every word of every song, of course. She saved her vocal theatrics, which sometimes appeared to border on an out-of-body experience, for slower numbers but certainly proved she's every inch a singer.

The final segment of the show saw her breaking out of a space-age bee-pod wearing a black-and-yellow fringed bikini for "Get Me Bodied." Following "Listen" she ended the show with the kiss-off anthem "Irreplaceable."The dynamite crowd sang the entire first verse and chorus alone.

The show was without an encore. Instead the celebrity actress/singer stood at the front of the stage humbly taking in the applause before handing a sweaty towel to the man up front that she recognized had known all the words and moves during the show. She then sang "Happy Birthday" to a few fans before exiting the stage.

As the crowd filed out of the arena, credits rolled as if we'd just witnessed a movie. The comparison wasn't a far stretch considering the special effects were just as spectacular as a summer blockbuster.

By Courtney Devores,
The Charlotte Observer