Christina Aguilera brings Omaha Back to Basics with Qwest concert

Curtains rise to reveal a projection screen of a woman sitting seductively in a chair, lifting her left leg up high. The screen begins to withdraw, and the familiar legs I have come to know so intimately through various magazines, DVDs and other media come into view. A little higher and I can see the whole body now. She is dressed in white, her back turned to the audience. A wave of screams rises from every corner of the arena. They are quickly shattered by her voice as she utters "Heyyyyyyy! Do your thing, honey!"Grammy-award winning musician Christina Aguilera made her third stop in a 41-city North American tour at the Qwest Center last Friday, kicking off her Back to Basics tour promoting her latest album.

She started the show with her jazzy, old 20s-style single "Ain't No Other Man." She was surprisingly overdressed compared to the outfits she wore during her Stripped tour several years ago. All eight of her dancers, four male and four female, wore matching white suits for a very classy and clean look.

Most of the songs came from the Back to Basics album; however, there were several good renditions of past singles such as "What a Girl Wants," "Dirty," "Lady Marmalade," "Beautiful" and "Fighter." Despite being in the eighth row, it was clear that the majority of attendees had not heard most of her new songs as attested by their lack of singing and enjoyment in songs besides her Top 10 singles.

Aguilera did the obligatory "Hello, Omaha," and "So happy to be here," but she added "We have some surprises for you tonight." I didn't think much of the surprises until they happened. Four of her male dancers, dressed as sailors, came down off stage and into the audience and selected a random person to participate in a song called "Nasty, Naughty Boy." Unfortunately, it wasn't me, but instead the editor of the Arts and Leisure section of the Gateway, Michael McManus.

The four men took him onto a stage and tied him up to a large swirling circle at the center of the stage for Aguilera's pleasure. The audience went insane at this point. As she went up to him, she asked, "Is your name nasty boy?" To which he responded, "Michael." After some whipping, and countless sexual innuendos by Aguilera and four female dancers, she finally released him.

The opening artists for Aguilera were Danity Kane and The Pussycat Dolls. In fact, the only thing differentiating The Pussycat Dolls and Danity Kane from the Iowa Playhouse is the lack of a pole at the center of the stage. The Playhouse has the pole, not the concert. Yes, Aguilera is sexy and does some dirty things in her show, but it is often not blatant smut. There is a difference between teasing fans and staying apart from that lifestyle versus lack of any character.

However, they are singers so they should not be judged by their character but rather by their ability to sing. Their obvious lack of that ability means that neither of the two opening bands had anything to offer.

Overall, Aguilera's show was outstanding. There were about six costume changes throughout the show, but it never felt like you were waiting because of entertainment provided by her backup dancers, a talented band and vocalists. I enjoyed the whole jazz and blues style that is sprinkled throughout her new album and permeates the live performance.

Aguilera won a 2007 Grammy for Best Female Vocal Pop Performance for her single "Ain't No Other Man." She will be performing in St. Paul and Chicago on March 19 and April 21 respectively.