Pink's Funhouse 2009

Since I got a chance to see both Britney Spears (on the 18th) and Pink (Wednesday night), thought I'd do a quick comparison of Pink's Funhouse and Britney Spears' Circus tours:

Most literal interpretation of the theme: Britney's tour had a lot of circus to it, including a long stretch that was just performers from the Big Apple Circus jumping on trampolines, hula hooping, clowning, etc. And she danced in a cage, gyrated on a pole attached to the back of a bike and bonked her backup dancers on their heads with a giant, pink-headed mallet. Pink's Funhouse was more of a backdrop for her performance, though there were plenty of related elements -- aerial acrobatics (which the super-tough performer took part in during the final song, in spite of recently having separated her shoulder), giant inflatable clowns, slides and mirrors. Britney wins this round, but whether that's a good thing or not is open for interpretation.

Best cover: Britney just did one, but she made it count. Her version of Alanis Morissette's "You Oughta Know" was the least slick, most emotionally true moment of the show. You could tell Pink loved all the songs she covered -- Divinyls' "I Touch Myself" (more on that one later), Led Zeppelin's "Babe I'm Gonna Leave You," Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody" and Gnarls Barkley's "Crazy." But "Bohemian Rhapsody" topped the rest as a showcase for that powerhouse of a voice. You really have to be able to sing to pull that one off. Pink wins here.

Most surreal moment: Britney makes her male backup dancers do pushups after they do a group pelvic thrust around her (and they're all wearing pink underwear). Pink sings a sloooow version of "I Touch Myself" on a chaise longue as roving hands poke out of the cushions to caress her, much to the delight of a guy sitting near me. Pink gets the, er, climactic victory here.

Opening videos: Pink wakes up from a nap, goes on a rampage through a closet, burns down a house, rides a motorcycle (while her version of "Highway to Hell" plays in the background), and waltzes with a mime. In Britney's video, Perez Hilton plays a demented Queen Elizabeth type, and Brit shoots him in the crotch with an arrow. Britney's the clear leader here, since her motivation is so obvious (who doesn't want to harm Perez Hilton?).

Stage banter: Britney comes up short here, without much more than a "Hey, Dallas." Pink gave a shout-out to the members of the military who were on hand, introduced her bandmates (some of them twice), heaped deserved praise on her guitarist, talked about the first-ever show she played as combat-boot-and-kilt-wearing 13-year-old, and generally endeared herself to the locals.

Opening acts: Jordin Sparks opened for Britney, the Ting Tings opened for Pink. They're very different, but "Battlefield" is just as catchy as "That's Not My Name." Let's call this one a draw.

Review: Dallas Morning News
by Ann Pinson