KEY POINTS:
Two nights, two concerts, and two pop stars at very different stages of their careers.
The first, Justin Timberlake is the current king of pop music and in the prime of his career. The second, Lionel Richie, is the elder statesman who, thanks to albums like Can't Slow Down, became one of the 80s biggest music stars behind Michael Jackson.
They were both excellent shows. Although, I have to say - even I'm surprised by this - I enjoyed Richie's show more. While he's hammy and plain silly at times (think Billy T. James) he's a true entertainer and songs like All Night Long and Say You, Say Me still stand up today. And a funk set, featuring a bunch of Commodores tracks, including Brick House, is superb.
The three stars a reviewer in today's Guardian newspaper gave the show somehow didn't match his glowing write up, or, for that matter, the crowd's screaming.
And then there's Timberlake. No doubt, he's a true professional - he sings, plays guitar and keys, and much to the thousands of breathless girls delight, dances. But, whereas Richie is performing for us, there's a distinct "look at me, look at me" side to Timberlake's performance.
However, I gotta say, Timberlake's live version of Sexy Back is one of the best live songs I've heard. Brutal pop music, indeed.
And lastly, it's been a busy two weeks of music and travel. It started with my best musical moment of my life so far at the three day Coachella Festival in Palm Springs, and in-between I saw Christina and Justin, among others, and it ended with nutty old Lionel. What an experience.
