Chris Brown Kicks Off ''Fan Appreciation'' Tour At Houston's House Of Blues

Video After Jump// Chron.com: The huge, sparkling white smile rarely left Chris Brown's face Saturday night at the House of Blues in Houston -- the first stop on his 19-city "Fan Appreciation" tour.

And why not? The (admittedly modest) venue was packed with fans, including tons of excited, hip-swinging women -- and a surprising number of children. A DJ kept the crowd pumped with old-school hits and new jams. Every one of Brown's flash movements were met with screams.

When he removed his shirt to reveal a lean frame and an impressively defined six-pack, things hit near-levels. (HOB should think about stocking up on smelling salts.)

Brown's troubles -- beating and threatening Rihanna during an argument following a pre-Grammy Awards party, probation, community labor -- seemed far, far away.

"If it wasn't for you guys, I wouldn't be on this stage right now," he said. It was one of the few times Brown addressed the crowd.

"Did y'all come to have fun tonight?"

But the party didn't last long. Brown was onstage for 59 minutes, much less than most fans probably waited for him to appear. There was lots of energy and even more AutoTune. (A portion of the proceeds will go to Best Buddies International, which provides "friendships, jobs and leadership opportunities" to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.)

It was a bit like watching a music video or a final dress rehearsal. Basic black and no costume changes, no encore. Brown was accompanied only by dancers, a drummer and a DJ. It was the same setup as his last full Houston show in 2007 at Toyota Center.

He kicked off with recent single I Can Transform Ya and sped through snippets of several hits: Wall To Wall, Run It, Yo (Excuse Me Miss), Kiss Kiss. As soon as the songs really revved up, Brown would end them.

Only a few tunes -- With You, No Air (with the crowd subbing for Jordin Sparks), Forever -- got the full treatment. Even the new Sing Like Me, from Brown's upcoming Graffiti album, was cut short.

"We ain't got the track right now, so I'ma sing it acapella," Brown told the crowd.

The dancing was expectedly slick and on point. He went from fluid flips to robotic posturing and floor-level gyrating. But what Brown still lacks is any sort of personal stake in his music. There's nothing on his previous efforts that seems to push any further than having a hit single or backing a flashy dance sequence.


Only Crawl seems to reach deeper and speak in some way to Brown's personal drama. It's a genius choice for a single -- a grand pop apology that gushes with emotion.

"So where are you standing now/Are you in the crowd of my voice/Love can't you see my hand/Lend me one more chance/We can still have it all," Brown sang.

The room swooned. And Brown kept smiling.