Pop Music : Gabriel at Universal: Energy Elegance, a Cast of Thousands

The Universal Amphitheatre stage was crowded at times on Saturday: a tuxedo-clad, 20-piece orchestra, a percussion unit encompassing bass to bongos, two Supremes-like female singers, a James Brown look-alike, a pianist on a baby grand, and a chorus line of 11 mariachis in oversized sombreros.

The fearless leader of this hodgepodge: Juan Gabriel, the near-legendary pop singer from Mexico, a shimmering, white-and-blue-sequined caballero. His tassels twirled wildly when he threw in the Elvis pelvis. A cloud of satin and silver, he shimmied across the stage while crooning in a silky-smooth voice.

Schmaltz ? Image-overload? Your worst Las Vegas nightmare come true? You’d think so, but somehow Gabriel made it work. Even in his early 40s, he has a boundless, contagious energy. He’s a true, old-style entertainer, and the mostly Latino audience, in the same age range and elegantly dressed for the supper-club mood Gabriel created, was on its feet dancing and singing along.

Gabriel, whose three-night, sold-out engagement was scheduled to conclude Sunday, could also be intimate--there were times when he was alone with the piano, serenading the audience with a story of unrequited love. His sound is a smooth mix of balladry, Mexican ranchera music, bolero, salsa, rock and a ‘70s-style pop, all with strong mariachi overtones.

But what makes Gabriel--a Neil Diamond-type who has been around forever and whose songs everyone knows--such a force on the Latino music scene are lyrics that deal with the pain of losing love, and the joy of finding it.

Sometimes they’re fun and sarcastic, such as “Inocente Pobre Amigo” (“Poor Innocent Friend”). It tells a story about an old flame’s new love, whom the singer is convinced can never compare to him--and Gabriel sensuously acted the saga out on stage. At his best, Gabriel makes you feel as if you’re in a Mexican plaza. At his worst, he makes you feel you’re in Caesars Palace. But he speaks to a Latino culture steeped in romanticism, and the crowd loved all of it.