Mariah re-invents herself at US Airways Center
By Chris Hansen Orf, East Valley Tribune, October 11, 2006

Before Mariah Carey took the stage Tuesday night at US Airways Center in Phoenix, a video of a roller coaster played on the multiple screens surrounding the stage.

The irony was not lost on the near-capacity crowd as Carey's voice boomed, "If you don't get on the ride, you won't experience the adventure."

Carey's career has included a series of ups: early chart success, a 1993 marriage to Sony Records mogul Tommy Mottola and a 2000 World Music Award as the bestselling female artist of all time.

It's also had plenty of downs: a divorce from Mottola in 1997, a mental breakdown/striptease on MTV's "TRL" and the atrocious autobiographical film, "Glitter," in 2001. Then, to top it off, getting dumped from her record label in 2002.

Recently, though she's been on the way back up, riding her massive comeback album, 2005's "The Emancipation of Mimi," which returned Carey to pop prominence with a few hit singles and three Grammy awards.

Carey's roller coaster clearly was still on the upswing Tuesday night.

"She has such an incredible voice," said Ron Stein, 55, of Gilbert. "It's all about her voice and her high-energy show."

The lights dimmed and Carey appeared on stage in a black bikini and cape, backed by an 11-piece band (made up of a rhythm section, a DJ and plenty of singers and dancers), and sang "It's Like That" before busting into a series of hits such as "Heartbreaker, "Dream Lover," 1998's "My All," 2005's "Shake it Off" and a great version of the Jackson 5's "I'll Be There," a duet with long-time supporter, singer Trey Lorenz.

There were plenty of costume changes during Carey's set, with a DJ laying down a slick beat as Carey changed from the black bikini to long black tight shorts and a glittery bra to a flowing blue/green gown.

Carey saved her most recent smash, "We Belong Together," for the encore, but by then the crowd had been treated to a show full of of hits.

For Elvis Rivera, 28, who drove from Denver to see the show, the concert held plenty of memories.

"I saw Mariah with my mom during Mariah's first televised special in 1993 in New York. It was Thanksgiving and my mom died a month later, but on the video she is the only one dancing. It brings back a lot of memories for me."

Rapper Busta Rhymes, newly shorn of his trademark dreads, whipped up the late-arriving crowd with his lickety-split hip-hop raps and engaging stage presence and drew an appreciative applause from the audience as he gave way to the headliner.