Madonna Provides a Taste of 'Candy'

Madonna performed Wednesday at the Roseland Ballroom in New York. David Sprague reports:
Despite the fact that the gig fell into the blink-and-you-missed-it category — Madge was on and off the stage in less than 40 minutes — there wasn’t a whole lot missing, other than a few of the singer’s bigger hits. Since the show was designed to wave the flag for “Hard Candy,” which was released the day before, four of the set’s six songs came from that album.
Hitting the stage promptly at 10 p.m. -- in deference to MSN, which was airing a live webcast -- Madonna led her four-piece band through a bump ‘n grind “Candy Shop," exuding a sensuality that seemed utterly natural (a contrast to the often forced burlesque of her recent live oeuvre). Momentum seemed to flag a bit when she picked up an acoustic guitar to strum through the wistful ‘Miles Away,” a song that would’ve made for a nice interlude midway through a lengthier perf, but seemed misplaced at the front end of such a brief program.
Things got back on track quickly, however, when she -- not entirely unexpectedly -- called on Justin Timberlake to join her on “4 Minutes,” the duet they recorded for “Hard Candy.” Timberlake proved an admirable foil, both vocally and in a bit of pantomime that cast him as a submissive in a realm ruled by the woman of the hour.
The peripatetic singer exorcised her inner rock star on a deconstructed “Hung Up,” strapping on an electric guitar for some riffing that was intended to elicit head-banging, but merely brought on some mild nods. She recovered nicely with a one-two closing salvo that culminated with an animated “Music” that showcased some dazzling choreography and an outsized light show, both of which bode well for the arena jaunt that’s likely to follow.