By STEPANIE McGRATH
AllPop

TORONTO -- The most exciting spectacle during the debut performance of Sugar Jones, the girl-group created on Global TV's reality show "Popstars", wasn't the girls but the mad house outside This Is London, a club located on Richmond St. West in Toronto.

The line-up for the invite-only show was a who's who of the Toronto music business, media and die-hard pop/reality show fans who'd won contests through radio, newspaper and website promotions.

"Everyone knows someone" shouted a frustrated bouncer who wielded the polka-dotted rope in front of the entrance with the fervor of a gladiator as the crowd clamored for special treatment - listing media passes, relation and seniority as a means to get through the door.

The most interesting guests told brusquely to wait their turn in line like everyone else? A mysterious man holding a bouquet of roses for "Julie" (the name of one of the Popstars" who was spotted at a College St. Laundromat with said flower-bearer recently), Latoya, a semi-finalist for Sugar Jones who earned her own solo development deal with Universal after impressing the "Popstars" judges with her vocal strengths and Justin Grey, Sugar Jones' producer.

As the line slowly filed inside, the five members of Sugar Jones - Julie Crochetiere, Mirella Dell'Aquila, Andrea Henry, Sahara MacDonald and Maiko Watson - all chosen through a long series of call-backs and auditions all filmed for the TV show, made a brief appearance on an above fire-escape to yell friendly greetings at Latoya.

Sugar Jones performs in public for the first time -- Greig Reekie, SUN

"You look like a star," they shrieked.

Once inside, contest winners, industry people and media personnel mingled. Grey seemed slightly nervous when questioned about Sugar Jones' upcoming performance but said the group had "great songs".

When asked about the last episode of "Popstars" which found the girls reduced to tears about the direction Grey was taking their sound into, (they wanted less pop, more soul), Grey explained the dilemma.

"There are two schools of thought," he said. "On the one hand, they're mature in that they have a specific idea about what they want. On the other hand, they have to realize there will be concessions."

Grey went on to say that what the episode didn't show was that he'd been flung into the studio without "much direction" and had to decide how to mould Sugar Jones' sound. He also pointed out that after the confrontation, the girls were allowed back into the studio to rerecord the song with him.

Although the how was scheduled from 6p.m. until 7:30 p.m., the girls didn't actually hit the stage until 7:30. Before that, Randy Lennox of Universal music introduced the judges who had handpicked the final five members.

Some judges who's on-camera personality sometimes comes across as unsympathetic, namely Brian Hetherman, received boos from the audience although Hetherman later admitted it was mostly his record-label friends who decided to heckle him for fun.

Finally, after a slightly awkward introduction and overheard whispers from back stage from the girls saying "I love you guys", Sugar Jones took the stage singing a cappella harmony and crooning "Sugar Jones" again and again before breaking into a short version of the dance hit "Back To Life" by Soul II Soul/Caron Wheeler .

Sugar Jones then quickly launched into their debut single "Days Like That". Although there was some slight feedback at the beginning, the group's vocal performance was strong and catchy. The audience quickly bopped along with the song's infectious chorus and yelled their appreciation when it was over.

Each of the girls looked stunning onstage although some were suffering from an obvious case of nerves. The standout performances were given by Crochetiere and Henry who owned the stage and whose solo verses met with an appreciative roar from the crowd.

The girls finished up their two-song debut with a soulful mid-tempo ballad presumably titled "How Much Longer" which showcased their obvious talent.

Although the show was short, it was enough to silence critics who expected lip-synched bubble-gum tracks. Instead Sugar Jones provided a tight, impressive showcase and possibly, a number-one single.

When the set was over, Michael Geddes, head of Lone Eagle Entertainment which produces the show and the group's manager, had one thing to say about the performance: "Awesome".

Hetherman was visibly pleased with the show and said that Henry, who was added to the line-up after Marla Joy Berman left the group for legal reasons, was a pleasant surprise. In past episodes of "Popstars" Hetherman had expressed doubt about whether or not Henry's sometimes shy personality would be able to deal with the "Popstars" situation.

"The group was the final piece of the puzzle for Andrea," he said. "Once she was in this group of girls, she was great."

After a brief break each of the five group-members circulated through the audience speaking with each person one-by-one and signing autographs for young contest winners and fans of the show.

"You've made this the best day of my life," sighed one young girl as MacDonald signed an autograph for her.

"You've made this the best day of my life," she responded.

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