Miley Cyrus: Enthusiasm, lots of clothes

Whether you viewed it as a Hannah Montana concert or Miley Cyrus live, there was no question about Sunday's event-of-the-year at Target Center:

The price of the tickets: Too much.

The stress of trying to get tickets: Off the charts.

The cost of a Hannah/Miley souvenir: Inflated.

The volume at Target Center: Sickeningly loud (to quote one dad).

The experience of being with your daughter (or son) at her first concert: Priceless.

That was a given. But now for the crucial questions: How was it as entertainment? How was it as a first concert? How did it compare with other arena concerts by teenage idols?

Miley's 80-minute performance was high quality Disney entertainment: energetic, colorful, wholesome and fun. This wasn't a Mickey Mouse production like the Cheetah Girls' cheesy show last year at Xcel Energy Center. Miley had flashpots and fireworks, big video screens, lively dancers, ramps and risers and a long runway, enough rhinestones to make Dolly Parton happy and almost as many costume changes as Cher.

As a first concert, Miley was not quite "amazing," as she put it near the end of the evening, but it set a very high standard. It didn't measure up to the spectacle of 'N Sync and Backstreet Boys at their peak. It lacked the powerhouse vocals of Christina Aguilera first time around and the naturalness and pacing of Hilary Duff when she was Disney's darling. The opening Hannah Montana set was much stronger than the closing Miley Cyrus segment, which lacked momentum despite its more aggressive vocals.

How does Miley compare with previous female teen stars?

Well, she didn't give goosebumps like the preternatural country vocalist LeAnn Rimes did at age 14. But then who did? And LeAnn's audience was adults, not tweens and teens.

Miley seemed more self-conscious than Hilary Duff, who was 16 as a Target Center headliner. Although she has been on a TV series for a couple of years, Miley didn't have the same kind of "Mickey Mouse Club" song-and-dance training as Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera, and it definitely showed. But Miley, who turns 15 next month, has one thing that no other female teen idol has -- she is the same age as many of her fans.

Performing on the third night of her first headline tour, the newly minted superstar often seemed out of breath, short on things to say between songs and goofily silent when basking in applause and screams.

She was a passable dancer (she seemed woefully out-of-place in the adult-themed Latin-flavored "Let's Dance") and an enthusiastic if occasionally flat singer (she may have been lip-synching at times, perhaps on "Girl's Night Out"). But most important, she was clearly having as much fun as a freshman with the starring role in her high school musical. It's just this musical has a bigger stage -- and a bigger price tag and audience.

For a set list and fan comments, go to www.startribune.com/poplife.

Jon Bream • 612-673-1719

Jon Bream • popmusic@startribune.com