Chris Brown back Onstage

December 5, 2009

Nothing shoos the 800-pound gorilla out of the room quite like the ear-piercing wail of 1,800 fans.

That resounding din welcomed Chris Brown to the Warner Theatre stage on Friday night, as the singer made his first Washington appearance since life took an ugly twist in February when he assaulted then-girlfriend, fellow R&B sensation Rihanna. Since then, the 20-year-old Brown has shown various faces to the media — flip, contrite, smug, confused — apologizing at every turn while still seeming not to fully grasp the severity of his misdeeds.

Onstage, Brown didn’t look like a monster. He was the same popping, locking, million-dollar-smiling pop star that America fell for in 2005 when he emerged into the national spotlight. Performing his new single “I Can Transform Ya,” Friday, he was captivating, moving across the stage with grace of an athlete and the precision of a machine — a paragon of control.

But control is exactly what Brown lost during the wee hours of Feb. 8, of course, when his infamous altercation with Rihanna threatened to vaporize his musical future. Overnight, the heartthrob-next-door had sparked an outrage so hot that many declared his career over. Some radio stations pulled him from the airwaves. Endorsements evaporated. His young fans struggled to make sense of the news — some just gave up.

Read More at the Washintgon Post

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