LAS VEGAS — In the city of sin, Britney Spears behaved.
There was no dissing of Justin Timberlake during the opening night of the second leg of the Dream Within a Dream Tour. No cigarette smoking. No ... whatever vice the rumor mills have her doing this week.
Things may have changed in Britney's well-chronicled life since the last time we saw her onstage — and that's only if you believe the gossip — but there were no signs of it Friday at Mandalay Bay. The 20-year-old headliner was the same pop princess she was at 19.
Nearly every part of Spears' 90-minute show was the same as it was when she launched the tour last November (see "Britney Goes Bald, Plays Tiny Dancer, Gets Caught In The Rain At Tour Kickoff"), save for a few production details, updated remixes and a new song, or at least part of one.
About midway through the eye candy that is Dream Within a Dream, after fireworks capped off a vigorous version of "Stronger," Spears sat down on a piano bench next to one of her keyboard players (the one who resembles a young Elton John). Instead of addressing the flack she has taken for her revealing garments, like she did on the first leg of the tour, Spears told her adoring fans she wanted to update them on her life. Don't hold your breath: She didn't reveal the status of her relationship with Timberlake or go into other nitty gritty details, but instead talked about feeling overwhelmed and writing songs as therapy.
Spears then sang a few verses of a new ballad before segueing into "I'm Not a Girl, Not Yet a Woman." The new song, for which Spears did not announce a title, was similar to the fan favorite that followed, but with a bit more traditional R&B flair, a la Alicia Keys.
The "intimate portion" of the evening (if that sounds cliché, it's because it was) seemed to resonate the loudest with the nearly sold-out arena (seats behind the stage were still available for $50, half the regular price), if not for being the biggest deviation from the show most of them probably already own on DVD, then for being the only real chance to see Britney concentrate on singing.
The rest of the show was far more about the dancing and the spectacle. Despite taking several months off, Spears didn't miss a step, looking as well rehearsed as ever. Some things, such as a few of the "thank yous," appeared a bit too practiced, but no one seemed to mind.
Either because they had already seen it or were still lost in it, the audience didn't pay much attention to the whole Dream Within a Dream concept video that began the show. It was when Spears appeared strapped to a moving wall like a knife thrower's target that the building erupted. It helped that the band had already gone into a remix of "Oops! ... I Did It Again" that enlivened the original with an insulin shot of funk.
Spears continued into "(You Drive Me) Crazy" and the rest of the winning formula that is the Dream Within a Dream set list, complete with all 12 different outfits and stage props that vary from a giant music box to a Flintstones-like car.
Theatrically, there were a few changes. Video screens did not have as prominent a role on the stage (the bald Britney footage was axed completely), except when the real Spears danced with a video of herself.
Musically, the biggest difference was "Boys," which was replaced by a new remixed version, presumably the one Pharrell Williams of the Neptunes has done for the "Austin Powers in Goldmember" soundtrack (see "Beyonce, Britney Serve Up First Singles From 'Goldmember' "). Spears didn't talk about the remix, which is also her next single and video, but she did wear a new outfit for it that was a tad more shagadelic than the suspenders she had previously worn for the number. "Overprotected" was also remixed for the second leg of the tour.
For the grand finale, the waterfall was back, and it's still quite possibly one of the coolest (and sexiest) stage effects ever. Undoubtedly the loudest screams of the night came when Britney's cowboy hat first hit the water. It's just one of those moments that you can see over and over and still find gripping.
Although the rest of the night seemed mostly like a rerun, there was one huge difference: the opening act. Rather than snag another "TRL" favorite, Spears handpicked soulful up-and-comer Nikka Costa.
Costa — who noted her godfather is Las Vegas legend Frank Sinatra — and her party-starting back-up band had a hard time luring in the pre-teen crowd that was still outside purring over the newest Britney posters, but the older women and men in the crowd, ranging from high schoolers to grandparents, were grooving along by the second song.
A cover of Sly & the Family Stone's "Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)" didn't get the response Costa had hoped for, though her own "Like a Feather" had people dancing in the aisles.
Wearing Lenny Kravitz glasses and a floral-patterned dress over cut-off jeans, Costa didn't appear to have much in common with Spears, but as she sang, "Everybody got their something."
Spears' Dream Within a Dream Tour continues Tuesday (May 28) in Vancouver, British Columbia, and is scheduled to run through July 27 in Mexico City (see "Britney Returns To Vegas For Second Leg Of North American Tour").
For more sights and stories from concerts around the country, check out MTV News Tour Reports.
—Corey Moss
Posted by Jen on Tuesday, May 28, 2002 @ 08:29 p.m.
Despite Fred Durst's bizarre online appeals for ex-bandmate Wes Borland to return to the fold, the guitarist is in no hurry to rejoin Limp Bizkit.
Durst recently posted Borland's personal e-mail address and told fans to drop him a line, asking him to rejoin the group, which has been holding open auditions for a replacement.
Borland was not amused. The Undercover.com.au website reports that he countered with a post at his own website, saying that he didn't appreciate his personal e-mail being posted.
And anyway, most of the fans who sent him mail encouraged him NOT to reunite with Durst and company.
"Although I did not read the hundreds of e-mails themselves, I took time to browse over the subject titles," Borland wrote. "75% or more of all the e-mails pleaded for me not to return. I was amazed. Thank you all for the support. You again have let me know that you agree with my decision".
Posted by Jen on Tuesday, May 28, 2002 @ 08:27 p.m.
NEW YORK, May 23 /PRNewswire/ -- Saturday, June 8th, The New York City Comic Book Museum will host "Beyond the Panels II," the second annual fundraiser/cocktail reception in celebration of the men and women of the comic book industry. The event will be held at the Dylan Hotel and NYLA Restaurant at 52 East 41st Street from 6-9 p.m. This is the first event to be held at the new restaurant owned by Britney Spears and operated by New York restaurateur, Bobby Ochs. Guests will be granted an exclusive sneak peek at the restaurant before its official opening later in the month.
This year's gathering will introduce an all-star honorary Board of Trustees -- an unveiling of ten legends of the comic book and entertainment industry. The event will also serve to launch the nationwide tour of the highly acclaimed exhibit Heroes Among Us: The Artwork of 9-11, wherein artists laud the real-life heroes of the September 11th attacks.
"Heroes Among Us was warmly received, critically and popularly," says David Jay Gabriel, NYCCBM Executive Director and Founder. "It has definitely made people look anew at comic books and comic book art. And recently, with the tremendous success of Marvel's Spider-Man movie, comic books are once again becoming a household item."
The guest list is indeed star-studded, with comic book legends Joe Quesada, Neal Adams, Jim Steranko, Gene Colan, Jim Starlin, Chris Claremont, and many others, listed and updated daily at http://www.nyccbm.org .
Posted by Jen on Tuesday, May 28, 2002 @ 07:52 p.m.
YAKIMA, WASH. - A 13-year-old boy in Yakima, Washington, would rather have cash than Britney Spears.
Andrew Benson bought a Pepsi for a dollar at his school store. He twisted off the cap and learned he won four tickets to a Britney Spears contest and 200 dollars in spending money.
Benson doesn't like Spears. He likes rap. He called the toll-free number on the cap and traded in the tickets for $475.
He plans to share the money with his nine brothers and sisters and four cousins. His mom chipped in 25 dollars so he can start with an even $500.
The odds of winning the Spears tickets are 1-in-51,000, according to Pepsi.
Posted by Jen on Tuesday, May 28, 2002 @ 07:42 p.m.
In The News is a site devoted to Entertainment news found from various
sources on the Internet. In The News will mostly focus on Top-40 music news (mostly pop music
news) and news on the hottest celebrities. In The News cannot
guarantee the credibility of the articles found within the site. We are
only as credible as our sources make us. If an article has been found to
be false, we will make sure it is known as soon as possible.
In The News is archived daily, so to view news from past days updates, check the Archives.