Reviews

GRAND PRAIRIE – There's something endearing about a guy with his heart on his sleeve. Especially if it's a really hot guy.

Associated Press

Despite the tour title, Nick Lachey's show wasn't all a big therapy session.

Throughout Nick Lachey's concert Saturday night at Nokia Theatre, the crowd offered a collective hug to Jessica Simpson's ex. But the hug wasn't exactly platonic. "Take your shirt off!" was heard many times from the crowd of 1,170.

Despite the sparse turnout, the fans who went were energetic, as if it was their personal responsibility to help him through this difficult time. He offered beaming smiles in return.

The decision to pour his emotions out in his work was smart; if he'd offered up songs with titles like "Everything's Great," he wouldn't have gotten such an intense reaction.

"We built it up to watch it fall," he sang during "I Can't Hate You Anymore." The fans mimicked his arm movements, which went up, then down. And why shouldn't they? Thanks to MTV, they helped build Nick & Jessica up, and they certainly watched it fall.

"Big D," he said to the crowd. "This is the first time in a long time I've been able to say Big D when I'm not talking about something else." (That would be Big Divorce.)

But the show wasn't all a big therapy session. The former 98 Degrees singer threw in a few trademark boy-band dance moves and later turned up the heat with "Slave," which is not on the album but has become a tour highlight.

That's because he A) takes off his shirt to reveal a black tank top (the crowd was pleased) and B) goes into the audience, finds a girl and sings to her. This time it was a cute blonde, who got giddy when he stroked her hair, held her hand and, oddly, crouched down next to her feet. It was more funny than sexy, but it worked.

After changing into a blue dress shirt for two 98 Degrees songs, he asked if anybody in the crowd had bought his first solo record, SoulO . Much applause. "Come on, some of you are lying," he said. "I didn't sell that many copies."

"Take your shirt back off!" a woman screamed.

He did not. But he did kick up the energy with a version of Led Zeppelin's "Ramble On," as well as Stevie Wonder's "Higher Ground."

Still, the show was mostly about falling in love, out of love and getting past failed love. And when you call your concerts the "What's Left of Me Tour," there are going to be some comical moments. For his encore, he sang the hit single by the same name, holding the microphone out to the crowd of females who happily yelled, "I'm half the man I thought I would be!"

Near the front row, six teenage girls, dressed in custom-made "Team Nick" jerseys, each held up a word that spelled out "We'll Take What's Left of You." Them and 1,164 others.

E-mail darlajatlas@yahoo.com