Gwen! BEP!

Went to the Black Eyed Peas/Gwen Stefani concert last night.  It was freakin' awesome.

This is the first "stage-show" concert I've ever been to... I've been to a couple of rap concerts (a free Ludacris one at college, and another TI/Ludacris/Ciara one that was paired with a car show), but this one had an entirely different feel.  I'm easily awed by flashy lights, bright costumes, and special effects, so this was my kinda event.

I had no idea Fergie, the sole female on the Black Eyed Peas, was such a strong vocalist and had such a strong stage presence.  She pretty much commanded the stage the entire time, and should take a hint from Gwen and go solo.  The entire group is crazy talented though, both vocally and physically.  Those guys know how to bust a move.  They also added some breakdancers as a nice little touch between songs.

After a hour-long intermission (is that normal?), Gwen rose up, seated on a luxurious throne (similar to the LAMB CD cover). While the BEP's stage set was more subdued, allowing people to focus more on their strong performances, Gwen's was all about the lights and multiple screens displaying music videos and crazy visuals.  I've never been to a Britney Spears concert (unfortunately), but I'm imagining it's all along the lines of what her stage set would be like.  Not that Gwen's performance wasn''t strong, but I'm guessing people expect a lot more in terms of production value when you're the headliner.

She seemed to be genuinely grateful for her fans, and took time out to say that she had no plans to tour, but felt she had to after her albums were so successful.

Overall, a great concert and tons of energy.  Oh, and there were lots of hot girls :)