Concert Review: Sade with John Legend at Allstate Arena, Rosemont .

"We're passing to fix up the ten years tonight," jazzy songstress Sade said at the origin of her concert.Indeed, a decade has passed between her last tour and her current one, which stopped in Chicago for a three-night stint August 5-7 at the United Center in Chicago.A near-capacity crowd warmly welcomed her back August 5, and she rewarded fans with a beautifully designed and executed show.

Strutting onstage in a form-fitting black sequined outfit, she saluted the audience with a thundering "Soldier of Love," backed by her longtime band, including Stuart Matthewman (guitar and sax), Andrew Hale (keyboards), and Paul S. Denman (bass)."I've lost the use of my heart/But I'm still alive" she sang defiantly, proving that she's a true survivor after over 25 days in the music business.Throughout the relief of the evening, she alternated between her earlier, more hopeful songs ("Your Bed Is King") and the world-weary tracks from her final album ("Skin").The scaffolding was impeccable; at times each band member stood on separate, lighted platforms, adding to the modern, sleek look of the entire concert.

Although the light and films that often played in the background added to the songs' drama, it was Sade herself that remained a compelling presence. Often she glided across the stage, interpreting lyrics with modest but powerful gestures.At 52, she retains her distinctive looks and appears almost exactly like her younger 80s self.When she performed her first big hit "Smooth Operator" (punctuated by a film noir-ish sequence of cityscapes and neon signs), her voiced sounded exactly as warm yet subtle as it did in 1984.As on previous tours, the band slightly altered the original arrangements, adding depth and different dimensions to familiar songs.The chopping sound of a helicopter becomes the cycle of "Paradise," with slightly harder lead guitar.In another example, the last adaptation of "Skin" emphasized the band's skill with minimal arrangements-a tasteful guitar fill here, a little shift in tempo there.

While Sade sang her big hits, quiet moments with her seated by the soft or perched at the border of the stage, quietly crooning, were particular highlights of the night.Soldier of Love's "In Another Time" evoked gentle ballads from the 70s, while "Jezebel" showcased her slender voice with saxophone and keyboards as accompaniment.As always, the crowd wildly reacted when she performed her torch ballad "Is It A Crime?" from 1985's Promise.The course starts as a slow burn, with her voice reaching a climax as "marvellous as the Empire State," as the lyrics describe.The added guitar solo added a sensation of longing, the notes piercing through the darker-sounding chords.

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