Kelly ''catered to'' Dwyane Wade. Michelle's wailed testimonials brought fans
to their feet. But ultimately, the night belonged to Beyoncé.More than 8,000 fans, many of them small children and female, said goodbye to one of history's most successful girl groups at Sunrise's Office Depot Center Sunday. Destiny's Child didn't disappoint. The Texas trio put on a show that mixed lush, popping production values with actual, soulful singing.
In an age of lip-syncing pop tarts, Destiny's Child has been the real deal. Frequently, lead singer Beyoncé Knowles has seemed too good -- too sexy, glamorous, note-perfect, sure on her stiletto heels, too L'Oreal commercial shiny -- to be true. Live, it's clear Beyoncé is no packaged good; she's a force of nature. That force became Destiny's Child's undoing.
It can't have come as a shock to anyone when Destiny's Child announced that this tour would be their last. The writing's been on the wall since, well, The Writing's On the Wall. Sunday's show opened with Beyoncé singing lead on their smash from that 1999 breakthrough album, Say My Name. Even back then, her voice dominated her bandmates'. Original members LaTavia Roberson and LeToya Luckett left the group in 2000, saying that with Knowles' father Matthew managing, and her mom Tina making the costumes, non-family members didn't stand a chance of outshining the prodigal daughter.
Even Kelly Rowland has long looked awkward and shy next to her talented cousin. One of Sunday's joys was watching Kelly seem at ease with herself, like she's finally found her look: sexy and sassy with long, curly hair and short dresses. Or maybe she's just relieved to finally be set free from Beyoncé's shadow.
Rowland's sometimes inaudible voice wasn't so assured. Michelle Williams was in stronger form vocally, although her gospel strains can have a tinny quality. But she was so thin she seemed frail and unsure.
Then again, if they had been standing next to someone besides Knowles, Rowland and Williams might have seemed like superior beings themselves. Is it possible Beyoncé is the bionic woman? She dances and sings a hundred notes a second without ever seeming winded. She has a voluptuous body that's a testament to nature and healthy appetites, hers and ours.
Destiny's Child performed some of their old songs in medleys. Each member took turns singing tracks from their solo albums; Knowles got the most on-stage time alone, Kelly second. Their current hit Cater to You, from their tepid album Destiny Fulfilled, is an annoying hymn to female servility from these once Independent Women. But live, they made it a fun fantasy romp, bringing three lucky men on stage for some PG physical attention. Rowland picked Miami Heat star Wade; she's no dummy. (Rapper Trina was also in the audience.)
Although the women sang their leads, it was annoying that choruses and backing parts were prerecorded. Couldn't they afford to hire backup singers?