Pop : LaBelle: Both Peaks and LaBlast

Mt. LaBelle--the vocal volcano Patti LaBelle--erupted for over an hour on Friday at the Universal Amphitheatre.

Belting out tunes in her raging gospel/R&B; style, she showered the audience with gut-wrenching emotion. In its best moments her show was like an opera, a soul music equivalent of “Pagliacci,” as she seemed to be wailing from the very depths of her soul. When she’s really on, as she was at times on Friday night, no R&B; diva--past or present--is even close.

While there’s exhilaration in being drenched in all that emotion, there are irritations too. Not only do you have to tolerate occasional vocal showboating, but also some lusterless songs. Choosing material has never been her strength, but it’s not easy finding songs suited to such vocal eruptions. At times she takes the easy way out, giving tear-jerkers like “Wind Beneath My Wings” and “Over the Rainbow” the full LaBelle treatment.

She was followed by Maze Featuring Frankie Beverly. In his affable, easygoing style, Beverly crooned uplifting lyrics about life and love while Maze was playing irresistible, laid-back R&B; riffs.