Ginuwine outshines acts at patchy revival show

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Ginuwine, Jagged Edge, Donnel Jones and Case were staples on urban radio during the mid- to late-'90s, a period that gave ample airtime to anyone who could copy a

Stevie Wonder trill.

All four acts promised new albums as they took turns to relive their glory days during a compact two-hour set at the Gibson Amphitheatre Friday. But they are competing with newer artists already connecting with an ever-younger and fickle audience. That's a tough pill to swallow, considering that most of the evening's performers are just turning 30.

Case was a bundle of energy, bedecked in a white dinner jacket over a tank top that he later removed to reveal a well-muscled and tattooed arm. He also displayed a lengthy tongue that rivaled Kiss'

Gene Simmons. Case sang the sultry "Missing You" and "Happily Ever After," but two unidentified new songs failed to connect.

Jones followed with an uninspired set. The only excitement came when he passed out flowers to women in the front row. Jones also lost his audience by singing songs from an upcoming album featuring material that mixed poorly with the familiar "U Know What's Up" and "Where I Wanna Be."

Ginuwine, always a strong live act, opened with a skit. He was rolled onto the stage on a gurney, covered with a hospital sheet. A voice-over exhorted the crowd to provide the electricity to jolt him to life, while "doctors" channeled the audience's power.

It worked, as Ginuwine's megawatt persona and capable repertoire ("So Anxious," "Pony," "What's So Different") raised the energy to nuclear. Ginuwine has a, er, genuine sense of theater. For "In Your Jeans," a young woman came out wrapped in oversized jeans. Ginuwine climbed in, did his grind, and jumped out. He ended the show a la

James Brown, as his entourage cloaked him with a giant fur-lined red cape. He whipped the cape off at least three times before closing; the crowd was in a tizzy.

That left Jagged Edge to close. Blessed with leathery vocals that served them well with such fare as "Let's Get Married," "Promise" and "Where the Party At," about the only stimulus they mustered was showering the audience with confetti at the end.

Reuters/Hollywood Reporter