Lil Wayne brings multi-dimensioned, energetic show to Sears Centre

That Lil Wayne's five-hour extravaganza remained as vital in its Sears Centre performance as it was three months and 20-some cities ago when he first brought it to Chicago at the United Center is a testament to the theme the show clearly aims to put forth - a triumphant definition of what its title - "I Am Music" - means.

Each performer, stemming from the up-and-coming "Lips of Red" through Keri Hilson, Gym Class Heroes, T-Pain and Lil Wayne, helped shape their own definition of how exactly one can "be music." Lips of Red included a wide spectrum of musical styles to show they are more than just an R&B group, while Keri Hilson brought aggression alongside slow, calm melodies that conveyed the message that every once in a while, someone could use a slow dance.

Gym Class Heroes, aside from putting on a priceless show of their own and interacting with the crowd, sent the message that part of "being music" also meant that all artists and their fans fight for the same cause-inspiring music. After these three energy-baring performances, T-Pain and Lil Wayne polished off any unfinished definitions of "I Am Music." When the energy hit its highest point during T-Pain's performance, he slowed things down to include a slow number written for his kids, followed by a tender, slightly jazzy turn on keyboards leading into a renewed burst of power with an intricate and stirring drum solo.

And ultimately, there was Lil Wayne. When it seemed as if the concert had more than accomplished its goal, Lil Wayne came out with fire, literally, including multiple different songs from his Grammy-award winning "Tha Carter III," reaching back to the Hot Boys age with hit songs like "Fireman," all the way through to his newest rock hit, "Prom Queen." Ultimately, when Lil Wayne stepped on the stage, the crowd didn't just understand the message he was trying to send, but they felt it. With every song, no matter whether fast or slow, rock or hip-hop, new or old, the crowd became more involved, and in the end, Lil Wayne praised them with this, finishing his "encore" of "A Millie" and the message to his audience that he "ain't (nothing) without you."

Aside from perfecting the definition of "I Am Music," the show was arranged perfectly, allowing more interaction with and involvement from the audience from the second "Lips of Red" took the stage. The show was immaculately structured so that each successive performance - running through Keri Hilson, Gym Class Heroes, T-Pain and finally Lil Wayne himself - built energy for the next and took energy from the last.

Unquestionably, there was a feel of commercialism within the body of the program, a sense that Lil Wayne was promoting his personal stable of performers, which, of course, he was. Yet, each act also played its role perfectly within the framework of the entire show so that, in the end, you came away with a sense of having experienced music from myriad dimensions. Following Lips of Red's melodic, dance-infused set, Hilson introduced a determined sensuality, including a crowd-pleasing rendition of her hit "Turnin Me On," and Gym Class Heroes kept the crowd on its feet with a surprisingly varied half-hour set - ranging from "Peace Sign/Index Down" to "Cookie Jar" - bearing a message of peace and harmony.

But the stars of course, were T-Pain and Lil Wayne, or as they like to call themselves, "T-Wayne."

When T-Pain drove his lime-green golf cart with rims to match onto the stage, it was as though the real show began. He demonstrated an artistry that went beyond his facile steps on the dance floor, building an energy that you could literally feel pulsating from the stage and DJ stand. His 45-minute set mixed melody, rhythm, dance and humor to the point that you could almost feel you'd gotten your money's worth with him alone. Yet he still clearly understood his role was to energize the crowd for Lil Wayne and he filled it superbly, somehow leaving room for Lil Wayne to burst onto the stage even bigger and bolder with light show, fireworks, dancers, pyrotechnics and a video backdrop that deftly alternated between creative bursts of visual imagery and a constantly changing variety of camera angles of the stage performers and audience.

Opening with "Mr. Carter," Lil Wayne worked into a sort of combined rap duet and competition with T-Pain featuring "Got Money" and hints of their upcoming T-Wayne collaboration. Throughout the course of his nearly two-hour set, Lil Wayne would alternate between solo numbers and group performances, ranging variously through songs with Hilson, his Young Money protégés. The show dragged at times, notably during an extended stay by the Young Money troupe, but came surging back to life to close with heart- and fist-pumpng versions of hits "Lollipop," "Prom Queen," "A Milli" and his own unique take on Whitney Houston's "I Will Always Love You."

Throughout the show, Lil Wayne demonstrated that, although he might be music, none of it existed without the fans, and his ultimate tribute to them was to show how he could touch all colors and themes along the musical spectrum even including a soulful cello solo. As the show drifted toward its conclusion, Lil Wayne, like a spent prize fighter, slumped into a red silk robe, appropriately embroidered with "I Am Music" on the back, and then sank into the stage and out of sight.