With a November 2001 Las Vegas performance that became an HBO special, Britney Spears headlines a visual spectacle that surpasses even Vegas's stage shows. From the opening "Oops! I Did It Again" to the closing "I'm a Slave 4 U," Spears and her dance troupe athletically romp through a live, life-size, 90-minute music video. There's no musical emphasis (usually the original recordings play while Spears nominally pays attention to what she's supposed to be singing), but that's not the point.
Soft-spoken offstage, Spears becomes someone else entirely in front of an audience: numerous costume changes, a plethora of filmed footage, awesome acrobatics, and a gigantic stage set create the ultimate triumph of visuals over music. During the encore, "Baby One More Time," rain drenches Spears, giving a born entertainer one final opportunity to leave her fans awestruck. The concert was broadcast live to four military bases, and Spears acknowledges the soldiers' service in the wake of the September 11 terrorist attacks. --Kevin Filipski
