As a live performer, Pink wants it all. She wants to offer up an emotionally powerful show while also putting forth a mesmerizing spectacle that’s high on entertainment and fun. I was among those who thought the two realms of musical performance were, by and large, mutually exclusive — but that was before bearing witness to her stunning yet deeply personal tour de force on Monday night at the ACC.
Kicking off the night, show-openers The Hives might have been an ill-fitting choice to set the stage for Pink, but they offered their own entertainment value. Set against a backdrop of a maniacal puppeteer who looked as though he was controlling the band, they delivered 45 minutes worth of memorable quirk (and some terrible vocals, but I digress).
After a rather campy opening skit, Pink got right down to the business of having fun. An energetic opening rendition of “Raise Your Glass” involved her much-talked-about high-wire acrobatics, which she genuinely appeared to enjoy. You could also see the effect of all that bungee-ing with her awfully impressive six-pack (not bad for a mom!), as displayed through her many revealing outfits.
The spectacle took an intense turn during “Try,” with Pink and a male dancer depicting a roller-coaster relationship in a way that was as raw as it was physical and sexual. Seeing “Sober” performed inside a metal structure extended the fascinating duality of a stage show that was both showy and somber.
Of course, there was room for some pure fun, too. The lasting visual in an evening full of them was Pink soaring above the crowd in a harness while belting out “So What” during the encore. That she was able to hold notes while performing airborne front flips towards the back of the ACC was a feat unto itself.
On the mic, the artist alternately known as Alecia Moore was refreshingly real and down to earth. She lead into “Leave Me Alone” by acknowledging, “This song is my chance to dance like a dork for four minutes.” Her off-the-cuff banter with fans had the sound and feel of old friends chatting. During an initial farewell (but before the two-song encore), you truly believed her when she told the crowd, “Thank you for being awesome,” regardless of how many other shows she’s offered the same sentiment.
When the night ended with an intimate, personal video package that included behind-the-scenes footage of Pink with both her work family and her real family (her husband Carey Hart made an appearance, but it was daughter Willow who unsurprisingly stole the show), you got the distinct feeling of witnessing the day-to-day life of someone you’d like to hang out with.