Some would say George Michael’s best days are behind him, especially considering his solo career hasn’t exactly flourished as of late, nor has Wham! staged an obligatory reunion tour. Add in a scandalous sex episode or a variety of other tabloid fodder, and the one time global pop icon could’ve easily appeared all washed up to some skeptics. But at a fairly full United Center on Wednesday night, the singer/songwriter proved even his harshest critics incorrect, turning in a gigantic spectacle that showcased a twenty-five year career in just over two hours.
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George Michael
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 Entertainment
 Art
United Center
Chicago, Ill.
July 9, 2008
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With a newly released retrospective aptly dubbed “TwentyFive” under his belt, Michael’s first American tour after 17 years left plenty of reasons to celebrate, and despite not turning over as many older stones as some would’ve hoped, is still a charismatic and soulfully smooth entertainer. The concert opened with the superstar behind a curtain offering the tender ballad “Waiting” before exploding into the disco grinds of “Fast Love,” flanked with a nine piece band, six background singers and a three story stage. Add in floor to ceiling screen panels, plus a massive runway, and the evening was a few costumes and dancers short of a Madonna marathon.
Aside from the production, much of Michael’s appeal was his ability to seamlessly weave Wham! oldies with own old material, such as the group’s spunky “I’m Your Man” and the more mature solo breakthrough “Father Figure.” Those alterations between eras continued for the 80s dance nugget “Everything She Wants” and a gospel-flavored rendition of “One More Try,” both of which found the singer’s voice in solid shape, even if he relied on the audience to help with the highest parts.
The show was chock full of hits like the gleeful “Faith,” the jazzy piano saunter of “Kissing a Fool,” the vibrant “Too Funky” and even the later club anthem “Outside,” during which Michael parodied his bathroom arrest by dressing as a policeman. Even so, the set list leaned a little too heavily on club cuts from the late 90s and early 2000s, most of which were famous in Europe but completely overlooked here. Given the Stateside audience, throwaways like “An Easier Affair” and “Flawless” could’ve been scrapped in favor of Wham!’s massive “Wake Me Up Before You Go Go” or his own “Praying For Time” (recently revived on “American Idol” by Carrie Underwood).
The triple encore helped make up for those mistakes, starting with the hushed intimacy of Wham!’s “A Different Corner” and the saxophone drenched “Careless Whisper.” On the finale “Freedom! ‘90,” Michael had the entire audience singing his deeply personal lyrics of artistic liberty, which despite some falls from grace along the way, could account for remarkable appeal even after so many years of absence.
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