Britney's bash

Bubblegum pop star spears fans with party

OTTAWA -- Britney Spears helped transform the Corel Centre's WordPerfect Theatre into one hearty teen pyjama party. And the capacity crowd of mostly pre- and post-pubescent females, with the odd guy or parental figure thrown into the mix, couldn't have been happier last night as the 17-year-old sensation put on a heck of a razzle-dazzle dance show.

Debate what you will over the all-important implant issue devouring the nation, but a week into her first North American tour Spears has risen from Mousketeer glory to monster hit queen with her debut, "...Baby One More Time," which has sales closing in on the five-time platinum mark in Canada.

Six energetic dancers broke out of upright black boxes, and flashing lights froze as Spears graced the top of a staircase, teasing us with the condensed version of the album's title track, before launching into her opening full-length number "(You Drive Me) Crazy".

Wearing a shiny pink tube top, Spears had one credo for the night - "Are you ready to party?" Taking a page out of the Paula Abdul School of Dance, Spears supplied an extravaganza filled with enough twists and turns to keep the focus off the mostly muddy acoustics and oft-forgettable melodies. Her spot-on covers of Madonna's "Material Girl", Janet Jackson's "Black Cat" and "Nasty" and a Latin-flavoured spin on Sonny and Cher's "The Beat Goes On" were the exception.

Because the show centred on being a well-oiled choreography machine, there was little time for personal interaction, especially taking into consideration five costume changes.

That didn't mean she totally ignored the young 'uns. Spears did coax a young suitor named Steve and flirted with him during "Born To Make You Happy." But her attempt to make the big personal statement on "From the Bottom of My Broken Heart" fizzled by the time she crooned "Open Arms," the Journey hit from just prior to her entrance into the world.

But hey, the idea was to drop by and have some fun. No question, the frenzied waves of glow sticks and high-pitched squeals all around during the closing numbers "Sometimes" and "...Baby One More Time" (with Spears dressed in schoolgirl getup a la video) confirmed a good time was had by all.

The vocal-cord exercise didn't stop with Spears, either. Montreal band Sky, comprised of singers James (he with the blond hair) and Antoine (he with the bald head and bass) brought shrieks of joy with dancing galore and polished R&B- and urban-flavoured pop aplenty from their debut "Piece of Paradise, a double-platinum seller.

Joined by a trio heavy on Earth, Wind & Fire inspiration, Sky had everyone shaking their glow sticks gleefully as they churned out their melodic hit singles "Push", "Some Kind of Wonderful" and "Love Song." Short on originality in the title department, yes, but certainly captivating.

The two remaining acts, STEPS Ñ five British kids disguised as elementary substitute teachers Ñ and Michael Fredo Ñ the shirt-tossing Tommy Hilfiger heartthrob Ñ might as well have programmed a Top 40 FM station and blared it through the speakers.

Set List ... Baby One More Time (abridged) 1. (You Drive Me) Crazy 2. Soda Pop 3. Born To Make You Happy 4. From The Bottom Of My Broken Heart 5. Material Girl (Madonna) 6. Black Cat (Janet Jackson) 7. Nasty (Janet Jackson) 8. The Beat Goes On (Sonny & Cher) 9. I Will Be There 10. Open Arms (Journey) 11. Sometimes 12. ... Baby One More Time (full version)		Concert rating