Eminem, Jay-Z give another explosive event, with tweaks

Eminem and Jay-Z capped their two night stand at Comerica Park Friday with a second blockbuster concert that helped redefine the possibilities of live hip-hop.

Together, the two concerts packed around 87,000 fans into the Detroit Tigers' home. The enormous production, complete with massive video screens and a blinding light show, created a visually stunning concert experience that was unlike anything hip-hop has ever seen.

And it took two stars of Eminem and Jay-Z's stature to pull it off. Together, the hip-hop icons made history over the course of the two shows, and Detroit provided an ideal setting for it all to unfold. The concerts will be reprised Sept. 13 and 14 at New York's Yankee Stadium, with the Eminem opening for Jay-Z in the latter's hometown.

Friday's concert was nearly identical to Thursday's extravaganza, with a few small tweaks here and there. With the surprise element of the show gone -- and no, Friday didn't see a new slate of guest stars joining the fray, contrary to rumors which proliferated throughout the day -- the focus was on the two performers themselves.

Jay-Z, who was visibly taken aback by his surroundings Thursday, knew what to expect on Friday, and even taunted the audience by telling them they had a lot to live up to. If anything, he was more comfortable in his role, working the stage with a cool precision that's he's earned from several years of heavy touring. Jay-Z is like a basketball player who's been practicing his free-throws day-in and day-out, and now has the ability to perform in any condition under any circumstances. His practice has turned him one of the most vibrant performers rap has ever seen, and he's now a treat on stage, behind a microphone and in a boardroom. His versatility is his greatest asset.

In terms of performance specifics, he swapped the Linkin Park-assisted remix of "Encore" for the original on Friday, and late in his set added a quick a capella verse he dedicated to guest star Dr. Dre. But otherwise his set closely mirrored his Thursday performance, with the same with the same focus on showmanship and craftsmanship that's become his trademark.

Eminem hit the stage with even more vigor than he did on Thursday, shadowboxing with the air and bobbing and weaving during the opening one-two punch of "Won't Back Down" and "3 A.M." "I'm back!" he shouted from the stage. "Did you miss me?"

Dr. Dre, 50 Cent, opener B.o.B and Jay-Z all joined Em during his set; the only guest performer missing from the previous evening was Drake. Eminem's performances have been limited over the last several years, but he made a strong return to the stage in these two concerts, though his set dipped slightly during a segment with D12 and a cursory run-through of "Like Toy Soldiers." A few trims and his set will be leaner and meaner, but Em proved to be in fighting shape.

In addition to the on-stage guests, pop superstar Lady Gaga was in the house Friday, and watched Jay-Z's set from an elevated platform in the center of the Comerica Park. Gaga, in town for her Saturday concert at the Palace of Auburn Hills, wore a micro-sized silver skirt that blew up in the wind and sported a long silver-colored wig that was similar to the one she wore on her recent Vanity Fair cover.

The New Yorker, flanked by several bodyguard types, bobbed her head along to "Empire State of Mind" and held a diamond sign -- a popular Jay-Z hand symbol -- in the air during the bombastic "U Don't Know." Even without the glitter on her face, Gaga was instantly recognizable to fans, and caused an audience stir when she got situated in her seat minutes before Jay-Z took the stage. She stayed for around an hour before dipping out of sight.

Also spotted in the crowd of 45,000-plus on Friday was "Lost" star Dominic Monaghan, who appears in Em's video for "Love the Way You Lie."

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