If you had any doubt about his authenticity and staying power, Justin Timberlake further solidified his position as a consummate performer with a crowd-pleasing show to close SXSW Saturday night.
Timberlake's concert was the finale in Myspace's Secret Show series, and rumors began a week before the star's arrival in Austin. As a co-owner of Myspace, Timberlake's performance served to reignite interest in the social property by requiring anyone who RSVP'd to join (or in many cases, rejoin) the website to gain entrance.
The premise of admission guaranteed the crowd would not be typical SXSW; rather it was packed with revelers declaring "OMG" and "This is, like, the biggest fantasy of my life."
Ever the entertainer, Timberlake alternated between the guitar and piano and even chugged a beer onstage.
And you know what? Those sentiments proved true as Timberlake opened the show with a guitar-driven performance of "Like I Love You," backed by a roaring 10-piece band called The Tennessee Kids.
In a tuxedo-printed T-shirt, jacket, jeans and fedora, Timberlake, a star since childhood, wowed the packed, small venue on Fifth Street.
Ever the entertainer, Timberlake alternated between the guitar and piano and even chugged a beer onstage. The performance gave lucky attendees a more intimate look at the performer and his sense of humor.
At one point, he joked that he was high and regaled the crowd with a tale of a trip to Amy's Ice Cream earlier in the day. (How did that outing not get blown up on Twitter?) The aside reminded everyone that a superstar is, after all, a humanbeing.
Timberlake juggled two distinct personas throughout the night as he jumped from old hits to new songs. Judging by the instrumentation, the lyrics and the vibe, the "old" Justin Timberlake comes off as harsh, sex-focused and bitter in hits like "Cry Me A River" and "Sexy Back." The new, soul-infused Timberlake, however, is a goon in love with a penchant for the '60s.
"Pusher Love Girl" paints him addicted to a girl, the band swelling up and down, mirroring the emotions of falling in lust. The closing "Sexy Back" was peppered with lewd gestures and expletives. It would seem Sir Timberlake is in a, er, happier place now.
Whichever persona he donned for the moment, Timberlake captivated the crowd — so much so it was often hard to see through the hoard of raised camera phones.
If the new Myspace can be as convincing as Timberlake's performance, we'll all be leaving Facebook in droves.
Timberlake played old hits alongside new songs at his Fifth Street concert.
