A Kings of Leon song title completely captures the unfolding of Rihanna’s concert Saturday night at the American Airlines Center: “her sex was on fire.” And the fans were feeling the heat of the flames even before the show started. The AAC was packed with all sorts of outfits, from girls with blue bras in overalls to lacy pink spandex pants. But the boys were the loudest.

Rihanna was running late due to a flight delay, but her fans took that time to showcase their own talents. The Ting Tings’ “That’s Not My Name” came on over the AAC’s speakers, and one spunky male sitting on the floor seats couldn’t contain himself. With his sunglasses on the entire time he started caressing, popping, and rolling his body. This quickly caused nudging in the audience and after some encouraging cheers he stood on top of his chair and really started to work it. The crowd loved it. Security didn’t. The usher had to come over three times to tell him to sit down, but undeterred he lifted his shirt and shimmed on. This only ignited a dance off, and as Beyonce’s “Single Ladies” came through the speakers a slender brunette boy four rows down stood up and shook it. He had the routine memorized well enough for the light designer to award him a spot light as he popped his wrists and rolled his hips.

But as the lights dimmed and the real show began, and Rihanna was rolled out onto the stage inside what looked like a life-sized hamster ball. She was wrapped in a neon blue bathrobe and stood in pink patent shoes that had an astonishingly high lime green heel. Each of her dancers was covered in a different glow-in-the-dark neon color and preceded to dance and crawl around Rihanna as she pranced around the stage. But there was something off about her singing, mainly the fact that she wasn’t doing a lot of it. She opened with “Only Girl” and was shouting, “Come on Dallas!” more often than singing the lyrics. Either she was flustered from her late flight arrival or she couldn’t hear herself. And, as my friend noticed later, she was singing with her ear piece hanging out.

Live vocals weren’t really the main focus of the show anyway. It was more about throwing sex in your face. She started slow by showcasing her goods in a glow in the dark lingerie set, but gradually added chains, leather, and an unsuspecting audience member.

During “S+M,” Rihanna played the pimp. Her body was completely covered with tuxedo con red bowtie and a cane to match. The skin showcase was saved for her dancers as they rolled around the center platform with their bodies patched in leather. But Rihanna wasn’t covered for long. When “Skin” started, the dancers ripped off Rihanna’s pants and top to reveal what a straight jacket would look like if it were made into a skimpy one piece. She walked over to the clump of fans that had access right next to the stage and asked for a volunteer. The audience roared as a lucky fan made her way to the platform. Just as the girl was pulling her skirt down to take a seat, Rihanna pushed the girl back onto the platform with the lyrics “with my body screaming now” playing in the background and climbed up on top of her. With the fan completely wide-eyed, Rihanna straddled her, clasped their hands together, and held nothing back as she basically dry humped this girl on stage. The platform spiraled down under the stage and the crowd went crazy. Including the guy behind me, in between two girls of his own, shouting, “That was f**ing awesome!”

But Rihanna kept the audience’s attention not only by shocking, but by showing her softer side as well. She came out for “California King Bed” in an Oscar worthy yellow dress. Her two backup singers traded their strips of leather for floor length gowns. Rihanna was singing atop of an iron structure, and a tiny fan in front of her made a giant gust that kept the train of her gown flowing while she sang about the ten thousand miles between her and her California King.

That song slowed the audience into a calm sway as girls sang with their eyes closed, clutching their chest and guys grabbed onto their girlfriends. Applause shook the AAC as the fireworks set off the ending of the song. But as the lights went out and she left the stage it was clear that the fireworks weren’t finished. The sparks had caught one of the spotlights on fire, and once the crowd realized the flames weren’t part of the show there was a scramble for the door. The fire truck sirens began to surround the AAC and any die hard fans who hadn’t already evacuated was told to leave.

Photo via wikicommons