July 02, 2008 ,
Tricia Romano, Los Angeles
Rarely does a performer smile for the duration of a show, but George Michael – out on his first American tour in 17 years -- wore a cat-that-ate-the canary grin throughout his Anaheim, Calif., gig on Friday night (June 27).
At one point, he said, "every night of the tour, I've known how absolutely lucky I am." And he is, especially considering that his last big hit was his U.S. career peaking single "Freedom 90" almost two decades ago.
The 10,000 fans at the Honda Center were a mixed batch of aging ladies who became Michael fans during the Wham! era, and gay men, who perhaps came into the fold when the singer came out in the late '90s after his public sex bust. Despite the fact that the man on stage was a multimillionaire and international pop star, there was the sense that Michael was an underdog in the midst of a comeback.
That sense was reinforced by his comment midway through: "This" -- he said, pointing to the elaborate set -- "cost me all the money the tour would make. I'm not here for the money. I'm here for you." You could almost feel the audience rooting for him to succeed. He mostly did.
In these days of shrinking indie rock violets, Michael is among a dying breed: a true entertainer and consummate showman. During the uptempo songs, he stalked the huge stage, shimmying, dancing and clapping along. He stood in front of a gargantuan video screen, which in true Michael fashion, frequently flashed images of beautiful women, including the infamous supermodels of the '90s, burlesque star Dita Von Teese and prostitutes in Amsterdam's Red Light District.
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