Justin Bieber charms at sold-out Rogers Centre show

Justin Bieber

CARLOS OSORIO/TORONTO STAR Justin Bieber performs at the Rogers Centre, Dec. 1, 2012.

Justin Bieber can handle himself.

For a kid, he handles himself almost superhumanly well. And, no, thats not a reference to the onstage crotch grabbing that has scandalized a few observers with nothing better to do than tut, tut about public displays of crotch grabbing since Biebers Believe tour began its march upon the planet in late September. Cheap joke aside, thats an acknowledgement of the unflappable calmness and cool with which the young Stratford, Ont., native continues to navigate the thorny path of pop superstardom.

Its easy to forget, not least because the theme relentlessly put forth by the Bieber machine and gobbled up and regurgitated ad nauseam by a complicit media since the Biebs 18th birthday last March and the June release of his second album proper, Believe, has been one of emergent manhood and maturity, maturity, maturity, but that was still essentially a kid facing down a sold-out crowd of 50,000-plus screeching admirers at the Rogers Centre on Saturday night.

Related:Photos: Justin Bieber performs at Rogers Centre

As a performer, Biebers already demonstrably a pro at 18. He moved through the gang choreography, the costume changes and the pyrotechnic discharges of the Believe stage show as if hed been doing it forever on Saturday. And although the production would prove sur! prisingly unimaginative and big-show routine after a promisingly over-the-top intro worthy of Kylie Minogue that had him floating onstage to All Around the World outfitted as a kind of metallo-winged, mythological seraph, Bieber himself was an absolute charmer whenever he had occasion to address the breathless throng of tweens, teens, moms and twenty-something gals out on the town in Smirnoff Ice-guzzling packs.

Bieber, the person, exudes the personality that most of the Believe material lacks. As Long as You Love Me, Beauty and the Beat which featured both a video cameo by Nicki Minaj and a brief drum solo by Bieber and Boyfriend have their hooks, but Saturdays set list was largely taken up by boomingly anodyne 21st-century R&B dance-pop that could have been sung by anybody. And indeed might as well have been, given that Bieber seemed either to be lip-synching or singing through a barrage of dehumanizing effects during the more upbeat and therefore physically strenuous numbers. Admittedly, I couldnt hear a damn thing over the din because I was up in the 500s, above and slightly behind stage right, in a $40 seat I bought for $170 on Friday afternoon because the Bieber camp decided last week it didnt want reviewers in the house.

In any case, left alone at the microphone to perform a cappella snippets of vintage cuts like My Worlds That Should Be Me early on and later delivering the ballads Be Alright and Fall from a cherry-picker swooping across the floor even accompanying himself on acoustic guitar for the latter Bieber would demonstrate that he could indeed carry a tune. His unending utterances of gratitude to the fans who have made him what he is, however, were probably the most endearing feature of the show. Yes, you actually did believe his thank-yous. And he was kinda funny with them.

I never thought Id be onstage here at SkyDome, he remarked during one of his gracious, be-all-you-can-be speeches. I never thought Id be wearing leather pants. But here I am! , wearing! leather pants.

Cue Never Say Never and a tip of the hat to Biebers comic timing. He earned extra points, too, for generously giving hometown homeboy Drake room to roam in the spotlight on his own The Motto after the rapper emerged to a frenzied response that, impossibly, pushed the shriek level in the stadium one louder to duet with his pal Bieber on Right Now.

He held it down. He had the crowd in the palm of his hand. Granted, 50,000 crush-blind teenage girls might not constitute the most discerning crowd in the world, but this sort of happening can only really be judged on how it plays to its intended audience and theres not a doubt in my mind that Bieber will be the talk of many a schoolyard on Monday morning.

Again, though: think about who he is and what hes doing and his weird situation. Bieber can handle himself.

That was an 18-year-old kid who didnt necessarily know nor care that Stephen Harper was going show up backstage at his show in Ottawa last Friday looking to shake his hand for a photo op and then good-naturedly absorbed a subsequent torrent of idiotic Internet outrage because he dared wear overalls to meet the Prime Minister without ever once responding with a justified cry of What is wrong with you people? That was an 18-year-old kid who stoically got through his Grey Cup halftime performance in the same Rogers Centre last Sunday without ever once acknowledging or responding harshly to the chorus of boos greeting his every move. That was an 18-year-old kid who made global headline! s global! headlines for puking onstage in Arizona two months ago yet neither died of embarrassment the way many 18-year-olds caught vomiting on YouTube would do nor retired to a remote Tibetan monastery to repent for the cancerous effect hes had on worldwide news judgment. Thats still an 18-year-old kid out there every day, sucking up every snide Twitter comment made over his haircuts and his pants, every Are they or arent they? tabloid story about his relationship with Selena Gomez, every dubious paternity suit and every harsh review without exploding.

If Bieber can get onstage before a hometown crowd of 50,000 and knock em dead with all that nonsense braying away in the background, hes worthy of praise.