Pharrell Performs At The Apollo Theater For The First Time

Pop's current party chief - Pharrell - performed his very first show at the Apollo Theater Tuesday.

In a production directed by Spike Lee, the show balanced witty animation, overseen by the filmmaker, with funky beats from the band, together aiming for one mood above all: exuberance.

Fans didn't need a ticket to hear the show. It streamed live over www.amexunstaged.com. It was the latest installment in a four-year-old series, sponsored by American Express, which matches prominent musicians and filmmakers at shows streamed from notable halls.

A topical sense of importance provided a striking contrast to the night’s joyous mission. Over the last few weeks, Pharrell's global smash "Happy" has, by accident, become the most politicized song of the year. Earlier this month, seven Iranian young people were arrested for appearing in their own YouTube version of the star's hit, leading to worldwide outrage. Pharrell himself has referred to the arrest as "beyond sad."

While those involved in the video have been released on bail, more legal action may follow. Pharrell didn’t in any way acknowledge the controversy, a botched opportunity given the stream’s worldwide audience. His only quasi-political statement came before his take on the hit he created with Gwen Stefani, “Hollaback Girl.” Addressing the issue of equal pay, the star said “in the future women will make even more money than men.”

“I want to be on the right side of history,” he said.

It sounded defensive, like he wanted to make up for any misunderstandings over his frequent sex anthems. It sounded even more awkward once Pharrell added that the show’s sponsor wanted to be on the right side of history too.

Groans abounded.

Luckily, the smoothness of Pharrell’s material made up for such gaffs. The music on his new solo album, "Girl," stresses peppy beats, summery melodies and horn-dog lyrics. From the album, he performed songs like “Hunter” and "Come Get It Bae," which includes the salty come-on "you want to ride my motorcycle/take it easy on the clutch."

Like many of the pieces performed this night, the tunes shone so bright they could have worn shades. The rhythms of the songs have a quickness that lets them breeze by rather than pound. It's the most pop take possible on R&B funk.

Pharrell still isn’t the most confident of frontmen, having spent more of his time as the writer and producer of some of the biggest hits of the last 15 years. He needed the six dancers who flanked him, providing camouflage. At times, he seemed to be hiding behind that famous hat of his, which he dutifully sported here in hunter green.

Luckily for him, the tight, one-hour set didn’t allow too much time to focus on the star. It drew from a wide portfolio, reaching back to covers of songs Pharrell has produced for others (like Snoop Dogg's "Drop It Like It's Hot" or Nelly’s “Hot In Herrr”). It also included his recent collaborations with Daft Punk, "Lose Yourself To Dance” and “Get Lucky”, as well as “Blurred Lines,” which included a cameo from one of its other featured players, T.I.

Ironically, Pharrell’s older songs sounded more up-to-date than his newer ones. Along with Justin Timberlake, Robin Thicke, and Bruno Mars, the star has worked hard to revive ‘70s and ‘80s pop-funk. His biggest hit, “Happy,” which closed the night, goes back even further - to ‘60s go-go music. It’s a sound that soars, in part, on familiarity. Small wonder his songs have become the ones that now make multiple generations dance.

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