En Vogue: Live in the USA

Although the title En Vogue: Live in the USA might seem to suggest a nationwide tour, this is actually a sole 2002 concert date, opening with interviews and footage of the photogenic trio—Terry Ellis, Cindy Herron-Braggs, and Amanda Cole—backed by a six-piece band in rehearsal before taking the stage at the Alabama State Fairgrounds in Birmingham to perform 16 tracks, including the hit single “What a Man” (which appears surprisingly early in the proceedings—always a risk, lest everything else seem anti-climactic). Unlike many other female R&B outfits, En Vogue aren't afraid to enter down and dirty territory, as on the Funkadelic-inspired “Free Your Mind,” which recalls Patti Labelle, to whom they pay tribute through a cover of “Lady Marmalade”—part of a “funky divas” medley featuring songs by Aretha Franklin, Chaka Khan, and the Emotions. Since the group were on tour in support of The Gift of Christmas, a couple of holiday numbers are featured in the repertoire, and an appreciative fan is brought onstage for “Giving Him Something He Can Feel.” Overall, Live in the USA, presented with Dolby Digital 5.1 and stereo options, offers breezy entertainment, backed by a bevy of DVD extras including backstage footage, interviews, a band history (which covers the departures of Dawn Robinson and Maxine Jones), a discography, and the video for N-Jay's “Never Stop” featuring Ellis. Recommended. Aud: P. (K. Fennessy)