LITTLE ROCK — It wasn’t just the frantic female fans flipping for pop prince Justin Bieber Thursday night at Verizon Arena.
The 16-year-old Canadian sensation did his fair share of flipping too, performing some aerial stunts before the sold-out crowd of 13,986 during his spirited “Somebody to Love.”
The pint-sized, high-pitched pup also sailed over the adoring audience several times - once in a heart-shaped contraption that matched the heart logo he literally wore on his sleeve - and played acoustic guitar and drums during the Arkansas stop of his My World Tour.
But mainly he spent most of his sprightly 90-minute set crooning relationshippy songs bigger than his years and shuffling and skipping across the stage in big bright red or purple high-top sneakers (that always matched his hoodie or backwards baseball hat) bigger than his body.
Bieber, who was joined by four dancers, a six-member band and four backup singers, appeared sincere while belting out ballads like “You Smile,” “Up,” “That Should Be Me” and “One Less Lonely Girl” (during which one lucky gal - shriek! - got serenaded by Bieber who - squeal! - hugged her and gave her flowers). And he appeared self-assured while performing faster-paced numbers like opener “Love Me” and his versions of Michael Jackson’s “Wanna Be Starting Something” and Aerosmith’s “Walk This Way.”
Also performing were opening acts Vita Chambers and Jessica Jarrell. Following them was big huggable reggae-rapper Sean Kingston - the relative relic (at age 20, he’s older than Bieber but still not old enough to drink those coladas he sings about sipping) who warmed things up with songs like “Fire Burning,” “Take You There,” “Me Love” and “Beautiful Girls” and turned over part of his set to singer Iyaz who played to the crowd with his hit “Replay.”
Kingston also joined Bieber for their joint hit “Eenie Meenie,” which indeed made the girls “holla” before they were let go.
Arkansas, Pages 13 on 07/30/2010