Concert review: M.I.A. show action-packed at First Avenue

What a difference a couple years, an extra backup vocalist, a bunch of clever video-screen graphics and one more vibrant album can make.

Sri Lankan/British rapper M.I.A. climbed the ladder from smaller clubs to a sold-out concert at First Avenue on Tuesday night, and she took a leap up in entertainment value. The 90-minute performance came off like one long explosion of the senses -- from its visual eye-candy and sonic kaleidoscope to the rump-vibrating feeling that came from the 8-pack of extra woofer speakers brought in just for the show.

Out supporting her genre-busting second album, "Kala," the 30-year-old musicmaker (real name: Maya Arulpragasam) seemed more like a ringleader than a mere rapper. Which was a smart improvement on her part.

M.I.A. is still pretty one-dimensional as a vocalist, a point proven on her more lackluster debut tour two years ago. At numerous times Tuesday, her dance hall reggae-style vocal delivery sounded atonal and just plain weak -- although she did come out strong in the opener "Bamboo Banga," declaring, "M.I.A. is coming back with power power!"

Most of the power came from the London-meets-Third-World beats of her songs. The grooves that fuel "Kala" lit up the dance floor during "Boyz" and especially the encore highlight "Hussel." The rowdiest romp was "20 Dollar," with New Order's "Blue Monday" somehow blended into the mix.

Less funky but infectious tunes, including "Jimmy" and the should-be hit "Paper Planes," danced visually thanks to a long video screen stretched across the back of the stage, blasting a steady stream of kitschy, playful graphics.

On top of all that, M.I.A. let her two hype-spewing female backups go hog-wild vocally and physically, and she dutifully upped her own showmanship, too. With Farrah Fawcett-fluffy hair and a colorful netted-shirt/leggings ensemble, she looked like a fly-girl version of Iggy Pop as she climbed atop the stage's tall speaker racks on "Bucky Done Gun," invited 30 or 40 women up to dance with her on "Bird Flu" and even crowd-surfed late in the show.

Sure, she might have been overcompensating. But her efforts definitely paid off.

Chris Riemenschneider • 612-673-4658

Chris Riemenschneider • chrisr@startribune.com