Beyonce Entertainment Art United Center Chicago, Ill. August 18, 2007

While she may never win critical awards as one of today’s most artful acts, Beyonce remains a glitzy but classy spectacle who puts the pizzazz in modern day pop music. Between the current “B’Day” and her first disc “Dangerously In Love,” the diva had plenty of hit singles to choose from (not to mention her Destiny’s Child days) and she obliged with a two hour trip through each career phase.

Backed by a soulful, entirely female ten-piece band, plus a troupe of dancers and background singers, the headliner kicked into full club gear with the throw down “Crazy In Love” mashed up with Gnarls Barkley’s “Crazy.” Though it could merely be dismissed as a guilty pleasure sing-a-long, funky arrangements and her captivating stage presence hinted at a deeper disposition, backed by mighty pipes that can stand up just fine outside the studio. That mighty range also developed even further during the sultry “Dangerously In Love” and gyration-packed “Naughty Girl,” which each covered opposite ends of the love struck spectrum and connected with immediacy in spite of the mammoth venue.

Yet Beyonce and company also used the area setting to their advantage come the Las Vegas-level staging of “Déjà Vu” (backed by twirling disco balls) and a partial recreation of her blockbuster film “Dreamgirls” during the gorgeous ballad “Listen.” Switching between her own material and the soundtrack smash would’ve probably been enough to pass the time, but the versatile performer also made sure not to forget her foundation building days in Destiny’s Child.

For a solid half hour, she tightly packed together a fairly comprehensive melody that began with the self-esteem escalating cries of “Independent Women Part I,” transitioned to the boisterous “Bootylicious,” the sensual “Cater 2 U” and the dance classic “Jumpin’, Jumpin.’” The segment ended with the battles cries of “Survivor,” which boasted an assertive message that certainly applies to the roller coaster ride of Beyonce’s career thus far. But by the end of the night, her acoustic sing-a-long “Irreplaceable” sent the all encompassing star looking beyond any previous bumps in the road (like previous Destiny’s Child dramas) and supremely standing at the top of her game.

* Photos from her United Center performance on 12/19/04

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