Live Review: Alicia Keys, John Legend

The GA section of Rod Laver Arena is all decked out with seats tonight and even the security guards park their arses. John Legend arrives onstage in a well cut military coat looking every inch the star. And his pair of classy BV ladies even sport identical high heels. He calls us to our feet for song three. Legend's debut single Used To Love U shows this artist's been the shiznit from the get-go – his voice drips with soul and there's a sweetness to his onstage persona that's refreshing. It's smokin' that Legend tickles the ivories as well. Number One does its Curtis Mayfield sample proud and nothing could prepare us for Legend's cover of Bruce Springsteen's Dancing In The Dark, which he performs solo at the piano as we melt into mush. Legend stands atop the piano to belt out Green Light (his song that features André 3000): “I'm ready to go right now” – hold up, we're not. Being more of a double headliner-type arrangement, encores are permitted so Legend returns to sing All Of Me, which he proudly tells us is his first Australian number one single (a fact he learned just yesterday). Why isn't he an international household name already? He will be soon. It's all in the name: Legend.

Alicia Keys. Pic by Chrissie Francis.

The crowd gets restless and starts up a slow clap for Alicia Keys. Her band members file out onstage and motion for us to make a ruckus. We happily oblige and then a spotlight illuminates Keys, on a rostra facing upstage displaying her bootaliciousness while belting out the opening lines from Empire State Of Mind: “New YOOOORK/Concrete jungle where dreams are MADE of…” Keys' pants are so high-waisted and matte black that a suitable soundtrack would be Sir Mix-A-Lot's Baby Got Back. You Don't Know My Name incorporates the adorable faux phonecall to the song's protagonist during which one of Keys' dancers appears in a spotlight on the opposite side of the stage to mime receiving the call. After Keys hollers out for the fierce, single ladies to identify themselves, her four male backing dancers bring out torches during A Woman's Worth to scan for talent – “So, so many good ones!” Keys encourages. Even when Keys sits at the piano, there's some creative choreography with one of the dancers leaning against her back, complete with stolen glances and arm gestures. Fallin' kicks off with a sustained note, it's delivered with so much power that the mic's made redundant. Keys' incredible husband and wife backing vocalist team – Whitney Keaton and Raphael “Raii” Smith – own the Marvin Gaye/Tammi Terrell duet You're All I Need to give Keys a well deserved breather. When Keys returns to her piano, we wish she'd changed outta those unflattering pants but immediately forgive her as she explains the significance of Brand New Me's lyrics – she seems so endearingly regular. If I Ain't Got You is flawless and you can relax as an audience member, safe in the knowledge that Keys will never fuck up. Girl On Fire is an understatement.  

There's just gotta be another encore, because she hasn't sung the full version of the song she teased us with at the very beginning of this show. Ah, yes! Keys materialises, resplendent in a floor-length, bedazzled purple evening gown. Empire State Of Mind delivers and a jubilant feel descends upon the crowd. Keys substitutes “Mel-BOORNE” for “New YOOOORK” a couple of times and at the conclusion of the song she shares, “We're feeling you, I've got to let you know”.

During the curtain call, Keys' three-year-old son Egypt toddles out. When Keys ducks down to ask him, “What time is it?” Egypt answers, “Show time.” Aw.