  Justin Timberlake performs for 19,000 screaming fans at the ACC last night. (David Lucus/SUN)
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TORONTO - Justin Timberlake brought sexy back last night, and then some, during a sold-out show at the Air Canada Centre.
The former member of ’90s boy band NSYNC, who has carved out a formidable solo career which apexed last year with the omniprescent hit, SexyBack, thrilled more than 19,000 screaming, mostly female, fans with a dance-happy, at times sexy, two-hour-plus performance.
The boy — actually he turns 26 years old today — can move, and like a modern-day Fred Astaire no less.
Timberlake first appeared on his enormous, in-the-round stage behind semi-circular transparent white screens that eventually rolled up to fully reveal him dressed in a black suit, tie and sneakers.
“I guess I don’t have to tell you this is our first FutureSex/Love Sounds show in Canada,” said Timberlake, after discarding his blazer and rolling up his sleeves to play keyboards on the fourth song of the night, Senorita, from his 2002 solo debut, Justified.
Timberlake then further endeared himself to his already smitten fans by singing the opening of the Canadian national anthem, before downing a shot of tequila with his band.
“Please don’t try that at home,” he said, laughing.
The multi-talented pop star — he has already proven he can act in the drama Alpha Dog currently in theatres, and is a deft comedian for anyone who saw him host Saturday Night Live and perform the boy band sendup music video, D--k In A Box, which became a YouTube.com phenomenon — is clearly at the top of his game.
Timberlake’s sophomore solo effort, 2006’s FutureSex/LoveSounds, has been nominated for four Grammys, including best album, and he’ll also perform on the Feb. 11 show in L.A. with a yet-to-be named contest winner.
Last night, he was joined by as many as a dozen dancers during the second song, Like I Love You, from Justified, and the emphasis was on super-glossy high production throughout the night with those transparent white screens often descending to act as projection screens for various images and laser lights.
But it was when the spotlight shone solely on Timberlake — like when he got down on his knees during a portable keyboard solo in the middle of Sexy Ladies, played an upright piano during the ballads Until The End Of Time, What Goes Around and the show ending (Another Song) All Over Again, or sang his heart out during the Britney breakup song, Cry Me A River, that the singer truly excelled.
He also took a 10-minute intermission for a quick change into some grey pants, a black fedora and white runners, allowing his FutureSex/LoveSounds producer Timbaland to spin some tunes — including a couple by Canadian NellyFurtado. Timbaland also joined Timberlake for Chop Me Up in the show’s first half and SexyBack in the second half.
Opening last night for Timberlake was fellow top-notch pop purveyor Pink, who played to a much smaller crowd when she headlined her own sold-out show at Kool Haus last July.
The 27-year-old, big-voiced singer with the eye-catching short blond hair, black-and-gold, gladiator-inspired mini-dress and black suede boots, kicked off her 45-minute set with Cuz’ I Can from her 2006 album, I’m Not Dead.
A rambunctious performer, Pink took full advantage of Timberlake’s stadium-size stage running back and forth while playing up her 2006 hit, Stupid Girlz, with her two female singers and two female dancers dressed up as Hollywood bimbos a la Paris Hilton.
Other highlights included new songs like Who Knew, You And Your Hand, Dear Mr. President and older tunes Just Like A Pill, Family Portrait, and Don’t Let Me Get Me, the latter three from her 2001 breakthrough disc, M!zunderstood.
But it was her hit from that album, Get The Party Started, which morphed into The Eurythmics’ Sweet Dreams about halfway through, that was the biggest crowd-pleaser.
Pink — a former gymnast — stripped down to a gold-trimmed black bathing suit and dangled upside down and twirled around on a pink swing like an old Cirque du Soleil pro.
