Alicia Keys gets to heart of things in Houston

Alicia Keys never met a feel-good phrase she didn't like -- and incorporate into her show.RISE UP, PEACE, UNITY, LOVE and an array of similar words flashed onscreen throughout Keys' parade of Saturday night love songs inside Toyota Center. It was a perfect match for her up-with-people stage banter ("Love yourself," "We can do anything").At times, all the warm fuzzies teetered dangerously close to cliché -- but it's to Alicia Keys' credit that she made it work. Everything suddenly clicked when she launched into the tinkling Like You'll Never See Me Again halfway into her hour-and-40-minute set. The entire crowd seemed to swoon, and cell phones shot into the air. A chorus of oh-ooh-whoa-ooh-whoas sealed the deal.Keys made a dramatic entrance amid multi-tiered video walls made to look like barbed wire, and she rolled onto the stage inside a smoky cage. (Themes of freedom popped up frequently, a nod to current disc The Element of Freedom.)Everything was big and glitzy and often eye-popping. At one point, multicolored images of Princess Diana, Gandhi, JFK and Bob Marley raced by, in sync with the music. Dancers dressed up several songs. Even moments at a grand piano boasted dramatic lighting and powerful backing vocals. Alicia Keys brandished a "key"-board -- actually shaped like a key -- for a few minutes.Fashionably speaking, the Grammy favorite has also morphed into a bit more of a full-blown pop diva. She went from a fire-engine red tuxedo jacket and black sequined pants to a flowing white dress.Hits You Don't Know My Name and Fallin' came early. Another Way To Die, from Quantum of Solace, was a nice surprise, awash in red and white imagery; and Karma, a modest 2003 hit, was a highlight.Alicia Keys rolled out the grand piano during Pray For Forgiveness, an unadorned highlight that, unfortunately, signaled a bathroom/beer break for many fans. (Shame.) It was one of the night's few calm moments. She regained full attention during Wait Til You See My Smile, the best '80s power ballad not from the '80s; and Put It In A Love Song, Beyoncé-less but still bouncy fun.
Once she slipped into her white dress (really a leather top and long skirt), Keys coasted on an impressive run of hits -- Try Sleeping With a Broken Heart, Superwoman, If I Ain't Got You, No One -- that finally brought most of the crowd to its feet.Alicia Keys closed with Empire State of Mind (Part II) Broken Down, her sequel to that glorious Jay-Z pairing. And for one night, the hopeful cries of "New Yooooooork" belonged to Houston.
Robin Thicke's 35-minute set featured steamy slow jams and hip-hop- laced uptempos. He was much more successful on the former, including Sex Therapy and signature hit Lost Without U. His effortless falsetto had throngs of women squealing like tween fans.Thicke is a likable enough performer, but his status as go-to opener for more famous soul divas (Alicia Keys, Jennifer Hudson, Beyonce) is telling. He has yet to truly establish himself, despite three albums, as a heavyweight.
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