Don't cross her. She has a Twitter account.

I am almost loathe to write about this, because the feedback could be brutal. But I must.

Apparently, some Dutch fashion magazine called Jackie thought it would be nifty and funny to do a fashion spread about how to dress just like Rihanna. I know lots of people who would love to dress like Rihanna. But they might not want to if they knew that dressing that way makes them look like a – and I was not aware that this was a thing- a “n—ab—h”. Yes. That happened. And Rihanna is apparently “the ultimate n—ab—-h”.

The red-headed wonder was shockingly not thrilled about this achievement, and rather than asking that this be placed on a plaque, sent a profane Tweet to the editors of Jackie. While I might not have sent a profane Tweet while trying to prove that I was not low-class or profane or whatever that horrible word is supposed to be, I can’t blame the girl for being mad. Because they called her a … y’all, I’m not even gonna type that anymore, because it’s hard to type and because it’s stupid. How do you not know that’s offensive? Ack!

The best part of this is the response of the magazine. The editor responsible for the story quit, saying that she was sorry that she hadn’t realized that it was OK to call somebody that, and that it was a joke. Ha Ha. And then the publishers wrote a statement saying that, essentially, they were sorry that their now former editor had apologized, because they aren’t racist, and they didn’t do anything wrong and “they will not be silenced.”

Oh, lighten up, Jackie. No one’s burning down your office or stealing your printing press. They just said that they reserved their right to be offended by something offensive you said. Funny how that happens. And your editor quit because she made a joke whose blowback she couldn’t handle. You have every right to say offensive things. And we have every right not to like it. Funny how that works.

And as for the blog commentors who have said “Well, rappers say that all that time”:

- That doesn’t mean you have to.

- It’s ignorant no matter who says it, no matter what race they are. Or what gender. I have never even heard that phrase written that way, although those two unfortunate words are found all through hip-hop. And they’re ugly. No matter who says them. So stop. I don’t care if you’re a rapper, a rocker, a blogger or just someone who likes pushing people’s buttons. You say that, someone is likely to fight back. This is how it works.

- Stop hiding behind other people’s ignorance. I am not thin-skinned for being offended by something that anyone with sense might know was offensive.

So one more time. That’s a bad word. If you didn’t know that , it is. Don’t call anybody that, OK? You don’t have to ask anyone else. I don’t speak for black people, or women, or black women, or the easily offended, very often. But on this I feel confident about saying definitively. DON’T EVER SAY THAT TO ANYONE.

You’re welcome!

Janet Jackson performs at the Fillmore Miami Beach. (Howie Grapek / GPO)

The concert: Janet Jackson’s “The No. 1″‘s

Where and when: Miami Beach’s Fillmore, Monday Dec. 5

What happened: There were times during Janet Jackson’s energetic, nostalgic, slow-jamming, booty-shaking cap to her current North American tour where you looked at the young dancers accompanying the singer on involved routines for songs like “Rhythm Nation” and “Together Again” and think:

• Wow! Janet Jackson at 45 moves like she’s 20 years younger! Go Janet!

• The majority of the dancers might not have been born when “What Have You Done For Me Lately” and “Nasty Boys” were released!

• Who knew that “Nasty Boys” would stand the test of time?

Photos: Janet Jackson at the Fillmore

Let’s get this out of the way — Janet is often accused of lip-synching, which a lot of singers who do a lot of dancing sometimes do. Janet has said that she is singing live on this tour, and for most of the show, that seemed evident, particularly in the ballad section. But it’s also clear that she was singing, at least early in the show and during the more kinetic numbers, over a backing track.
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Leslie's weekend fun included shows by Avery Sommers, Babyface and Craig Ferguson.

The show: Avery Sommers at The Royal Room at the Colony Hotel, Palm Beach

When: Friday, although she’ll be there next weekend as well.

What happened: Broadway and stage star Sommers (“Ain’t Misbehavin’,” “Chicago”) is by now a frequent headliner at the Royal Room, which doesn’t mean that she’s just phoning in the same show all the time. She’s not — every song the gloriously big-voiced singer wraps her gifted pipes around is a passionate treat, whether she’s revisiting her stage career (a rollicking “Ain’t Misbehaving” and the saucy “When You’re Good To Mama” from Chicago), getting patriotic (a lovely version of Lee Greenwood’s “God Bless The U.S.A.”) or getting her disco on with the buoyant fun of “I Will Survive.”

Part of the trick of a good cabaret singer is to mix well-chosen songs with a confident, comfortable rapport with the audience. And Sommers is, as always, the very definition. She tells a fun story, and comes down into the crowd a few times to get up close and personal. She looks like she’s having fun, and that helps the audience to as well.
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Huey Lewis performs at the Kravis Center. (Howie Grapek / GPO)

I’ve been doing this concert-reviewing thing for a long, long time, and if I’ve developed one superpower – which is not, unfortunately, the power to get drunks to sit the heck down and stop bothering the rest of the paying customers – it’s being able to tell the difference between a performer who’s just phoning it in and one who’s deeply engaged, who’s having an incredible time and leaving it all on the stage, no matter what it takes.

Huey Lewis and the News were having an awesome time at the Kravis Center on Thursday. It was apparent in how long they played – “This place sounds great, and we’re having a good time, right?” Lewis said, explaining why the encore wasn’t anywhere near finished. It was apparent in how Lewis, a powerful singer who plants his feet and belts his gruff bluesy heart out, was obviously having slight vocal problems … and kept on singing. When he couldn’t quite hold a note, the News or the audience completed it for him. Awesome.

Photos: Huey Lewis and the News at the Kravis Center

I think we’ve all seen singers with legitimate voice issues explain it to the audience, and some who seem to have lost their chops and are faking the funk to explain away taking good money for notes they can’t sing anymore. Huey Lewis is a trouper, like those soul singer road warriors that the “Soulsville” album tributes. He just kept singing, because that’s why he was there, what he and the News have done together for about 35 years. There was no flinch, no excuse, no long extended break – although it was clear as the show went on he was struggling a little – maybe a cold or something? He sounded great otherwise. And knowing that he was in it for the long haul made the few missed notes charming.
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And in the spirit of some of those classic recordings, much of “Shout It Out” was done in one room, old school, “done in pre-production, where we sorted out the arrangement of the songs,” Taylor says.

In the days since “MmmBop,” the band members did their own things, got married and had kids, and even did some musical exploration outside of Hanson. While Taylor says “there’s a place for taking a pause, we can’t imagine not making records. Once you’ve experienced this sort of lifestyle, and being able to create something, speaking to a massive audience, or even a medium audience, it’s an addictive game. It’s for the adrenaline junkie. We get to create something, to share it and walk on stage to try and convert people each night. It’s great to see them get converted and sing your songs back to you. The idea of it being a phase was never something that was a factor for any of us.”

And that’s nothing to be guilty of.　

Vesta Williams first came to prominence on the R&B charts with her hit 'Congratulations'. (Jason Merritt / Palm Beach Post)

By CHRISTIE D’ZURILLA

Vesta Williams, the R&B singer who rose to fame in the ’80s, was found dead Thursday evening in an El Segundo, Calif., hotel room. She was 53.

Though no official cause of death had been determined Friday, John Kades of the L.A. County coroner’s office told the Associated Press that it “could be a drug overdose.” An autopsy will be conducted, though foul play was not suspected.

Williams’ hits included “Sweet Sweet Love,” “Once Bitten Twice Shy” and “Congratulations,” a tale of heartbreak over a love marrying someone else that she later described to Mo’Nique as “a premonition that came true”. Williams appeared on the sitcom “Sister Sister” several times in the late 1990s, playing a best friend to Jackée Harry’s character.

“Just received truly devastating news: R&B great, and my friend of many yrs, Vesta Williams (@vesta4u) has passed away,” Harry said early Friday on Twitter.

Law enforcement sources told TMZ that multiple bottles of prescription pills were found in the room, where Williams’ body was discovered around 6:15 p.m. Toxicology test results typically come in around six weeks after an autopsy is conducted.

Expose -- Jeannette Jurado, Gioia Bruno and Ann Curless -- perform at Seminole Casino Coconut Creek. (Aaron Gilbert / luumphotos.com)

For the last 48 hours, I have had the phrase “You’re taking me…to the point of no return (to the point of no return) Ah ah ah, ah-ah!” running through my head, complete with choreography. And it’s just fine with me.

On the second day of Seminole Casino at Coconut Creek’s ’80s Weekend, Expose and Lisa Lisa, two of that era’s leading female acts, turned the stage at the Nectar Lounge into a giddily proud haven for 40-somethings reliving their yesteryear. But in as cool a way as possible. And I’m one of those people – when Expose singer Jeanette Jurado asked how many babies had been conceived to the saxophone charms of “Seasons Change,” I mentioned to my friend that I’d danced to that very song at my junior prom (NOTE: My date and I were just friends, and nothing even close to baby-making shenanigans ensued.)

The best part of such a nostalgia fest is the continued vocal power of all three members of Expose – Jurado, Ann Curless and Gioia Bruno, as well as their sister in freestyle Lisa Lisa Velez, accompanied by two young hard-bodied singers who may not have been alive when “Head To Toe” and “I Wonder If I Take You Home” were released. They didn’t just sound good in that way that emotional curve fans can grade on when they’re trying to reconcile the music of their youth with the realities of the show they just saw. They were GOOD.

“It’s hard to believe we met 25 years ago,” said Curless, an impressive 46. “We’ve been cryogenically preserved.”

Photos: Expose and Lisa Lisa at Seminole Casino Coconut Creek

After a fun retro dance fest with Atlanta’s DJ Roonie G, the admittedly well-preserved but unfrozen Expose took the stage, immediately impressing with their energy. They were always distinctive for having alternated the lead singer spot. Many of the crossover hits were sung either by Jurado (“Point Of No Return,” “I’ll Never Get Over You Getting Over Me”) or Bruno (“Let Me Be The One”), so I’d forgotten was a good singer Curless is. I was reminded with “Shine On.” The more the show went on, the better they got. And when the end of their appointed hour came, it was a bummer.
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Sade performs at the BankAtlantic Center. (Christina Mendenhall / rhythmscene.com)

Photos: Sade, John Legend at BankAtlantic Center | Directions to Saturday’s show in Miami, nearby dining

There’s a point in Sade’s live show where it’s just her alone on the stage, singing about a Somali woman who desperately tries to scrape out a life for herself and her daughter. Behind the singer, the African sun seems to beat down on her from a video screen.

You can’t possibly look away at this point if you’ve paid attention at all during the concert – Sade’s magnetic style and look have long past drawn you in.

Such was the effect of a remarkable concert tour – Sade’s first in 10 years, which was on display Friday at BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise and will be again in Miami at American Airlines Arena on Saturday.

Her show is not just a triumph of her talent and her consistent career of sensual, sophisticated songs. It’s also an amazing display of stagecraft, lighting, costuming and musicianship.

Each song is a set piece, with its own storyline. The approach gave the show occasionally a summer-blockbuster feel, but at the same time – unlike so many summer blockbusters – the audience was fully engaged. You could never spot the seams.
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Craig David leaves his Miami Beach hotel behind the wheel of a red Ferrari. (Storms Media Group)

Craig David gets set to get into his red Ferrari. (Storms Media Group)

Craig David, British R&B singer, shows that he knows how to leave and arrive in style, driving in Miami Beach in a red Ferrari.

David has had some success in the United States, though never matching the hits he had in the beginning of his career, including the top-10 single “7 Days” in 2001.

His success has been much more consistent in Britain, where he’s had 10 top-10 singles. He’s currently working on a new LP which he wants to release both in the U.S. and U.K.

Billy Davis Jr. and Marilyn McCoo entertain fans at Hard Rock Live. (Veda Jo Jenkins / sflimages.com)

“Tonight is a trip down memory lane and for some a history lesson,” McCoo told the audience.

The history lesson was that they started out as members of the group The 5th Dimension, which is where their love story began.

Photos: Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis Jr. at Hard Rock | Visit this writer’s website

It’s been 36 years since the duo left The 5th Dimension and recorded their number-one hit “You Don’t Have To Be a Star (To Be In My Show)” and on stage their vocals were pure as gold. It was apparent that the two have spent a lifetime together as they finished each other’s sentences as they talked with the crowd. For those in the crowd it was a soft, intimate experience.
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