Peas and pals please fans

BLACK EYED PEAS, PUSSYCAT DOLLS, FLIPSYDE, E Center, Saturday.

The Pussycat Dolls were ambushed during the breakthrough hit "Don't Cha" at the E Center Saturday night.

The sultry dance and harmony sextet was joined on stage by its rowdy road crew. And the crew had the moves and grooves for muscular and somewhat overweight white males.

Still, it was all good. Because the Dolls had a sense of humor and let the men do their thing. And the audience ate it up.

In fact, all the acts of the night — Flipsyde, PCD and the Black Eyed Peas — gave their adoring fans exactly what they wanted.

First up was Flipsyde. The DJ-backed quartet featured live electric and acoustic guitars during its warm-up set. Although the group served as the evening's sound check, the audience caught onto the groove and warmed up to the hip-hop rock.

PCD — Nicole, Carmit, Melody, Jessica, Ashley and Kimberly — kept the beat with their cabaret-inspired set. In addition to the seductive, breakthrough hit "Don't Cha," the Dolls strutted their stuff with "I Don't Need a Man," "Wait a Minute," "Stickwitu" and "Beep."

By the time the Black Eyed Peas entered the house, the audience was primed and ready.

The group — will.i.am, Stacey "Fergie" Ferguson, Apl.de.ap and Taboo — cranked it up with its blend of funk, hip-hop, rhythm & blues and Latin syncopation.

"Disco Club," "Dom Diddy" and "Don't Lie" bumped out of the sound system as the audience cheered, danced and jumped to the beats.

BEP was backed by its touring band, Bucky Jonson, featuring director/keyboardist and trumpeter Printz Board, guitarist/saxophonist Tim Izo, guitarist George Pajon Jr. and drummer Keith Harris.

The high-energy "Shut Up" and "Misirlou"-sampled "Pump It" had the audience up and dancing, while Fergie's W. Axl Rose impersonation on her short cover of Guns N' Roses' "Sweet Child 'O Mine" brought smiles to those in the know.

The other Peas also had their time in the spotlight. Apl, who is of Filipino decent, gave the audience some cultural education with his native Tagalog-language rap in "Bebot." Will.i.am tipped his hat to Bob Marley and played a few acoustic bars of "No Woman No Cry." Taboo showed off his Hispanic pride with some freestyle rapping.

Of course the group had to play the funky "My Humps" and "Don't Phunk With My Heart." But it also laid out the unity ballad "Where's the Love."

Highlighted by a hi-tech video-and-light show, the Black Eyed Peas had the party going, and the audience left happy.

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E-mail: scott@desnews.com