Mary J Blige @ Moody Theater, 2/27/13

Mary J Blige. The mere mention of her name brings many things to mind. She was a popular radio presence 10-20 years ago, at times. She had a hard early life involving a runaway father and sexual abuse. She's frequently included in all-star tributes to other artists on television. But most of all, she's arguably the last great soul/R&B diva. And Mary put that diva-tude on full display at the Moody Theater at ACL Live last Wednesday, Feb. 27th.

Right from the start, Mary kicked things off with high energy. Taking the stage in an all-white outfit and black knee-high boots, Mary was all over the stage for the entire night, and the crowd ate up every moment. An early 'Family Affair' got almost everyone singing along with Mary, something she ate up for most of the night. At one point, she showed off her pipes by slowing things down and singing while sitting still for a couple songs.

However, it's Mary's ability to fuse her innate performer magnetism with true emotion full of sorrow, heartache, challenge, and regret, that makes her a special artist. Standing just feet in front of Mary, I found myself constantly trying to stop smiling in sheer joy of what I was witnessing, and display a connection with the emotion she was laying out all over the stage. At times, she looked like she was about to break into tears. But then the song would end, the crowd would go absolutely mad, and she'd be beaming once again.

At an abrupt 75 minutes, including a one-song encore, the show was a dazzling display of talent, if a bit too compacted. I guarantee that everyone left the building that evening fully impressed, though.