Lionel Richie with Special Guest Mariah Carey. TD Garden, Boston. August 22, 2017

I honestly didn't think it was gonna happen. Right up until the lights went down, I was positive that Mariah Carey would be a no show. Maybe something about traffic? Maybe she had a sore throat? Who knows! I just figured that the universe was playing a trick on me and Ms. Carey was not really opening, (cough, cough) I mean "special guest," on Lionel Richie's greatest hits tour. But you know, it has been just that kind of special year for me. Dreams DO come true and yes, I was in the presence of Mimi and her lambs, if only for an hour. And what an hour it was.

Billed as the "All The Hits" tour it certainly lived up to its name. The Boston stop was originally set for back in April but was postponed due to Lionel Richie's knee surgery. This was actually a good thing as Mr. Richie was certainly spry and moved around a lot. That bum knee got some quality healing time and it showed. But I'll get to Lionel shortly. Let's talk about Mimi. To begin with, in this day and age, anyone who goes to see Mariah expecting her to sing "live" is just plain dumb. She's not going to. Sure, there were moments when I'm pretty sure I heard her real voice. But let's be real, we are all there for the spectacle that is Mariah. I knew she was going to lip sync and I didn't care. Just like Rihanna, and so many others. It doesn't even matter. Don't care. I was there to watch her perform Mariah-ness. And she certainly delivered.

Giant ass MARIAH projected in bright lights? Check. Entering the stage on a giant throne? Check! Back-up dancers? Sadly, no; but there was some guy who kept coming out and dancing around her oddly enough. Momentary make-up reapplication? Oh yeah, check!! This was Mariah the production (complete with teleprompter. Mimi is TOO BUSY to memorize her own lyrics people!).

The set list was pretty fantastic for those hard core fans. She did a nice little Diana Ross bit from "Love Hangover" and Busta Rhymes made an appearance via video for "I Know What You Want." Mariah has had an amazing number of hits over the course of her 27-year career and she did a nice job of showcasing little bits of each era. "Vision of Love" (from 1990's "Mariah Carey") was great, and for "Always Be My Baby" she brought out her twin children Moroccan and Monroe. They scrambled around the stage and sang a little bit eliciting "oohs" and "aaahs" from the audience (along with some people yelling out their names? What is that about? It was super creepy). I look forward to the day when the twins release their tell-all book. You know they've seen some crazy shit. Ultimately though, Mariah Carey hasn't toured the U.S. in a while (though has done a residency at Caesar's Palace in Vegas that ran from 2015 till this past July) so this is a chance to see her live. She might not be singing a whole lot (live) but she puts on a hell of a show. Not matter what Mariah does you can't look away.

As for Lionel, all I can say is "Damn!" For someone in his late 60s the man can jam. He took the stage by storm. It was kind of exhausting to watch -- maybe because in contrast Mariah didn't move a whole lot in her sky high Louboutin's? When he performed at the Glastonbury Festival in the UK, people were extremely skeptical, but he blew them away. Now I know why. In many ways, he is a victim of his own hits. So many of the solo 80s songs are so saccharine that it is hard to imagine him commanding a stage and It is that schmaltzy image that his very name conjures up.

But, we forget that he was part of the Commodores who had a reputation for putting on amazing live shows at their height. I have learned my lesson. Dude commands a stage. Now, he did play those hits that seem like a running joke: "Hello," "Penny Lover," "Stuck on You." But there was also "Running With The Night" and the all-time best "Dancing On The Ceiling." And he broke out what has to be the best song of the 70s: "Brick House/Fire." It was honestly one of the most entertaining shows I've seen in a while. Take Mariah Carey and Lionel Richie on tour together as some kind of humorous take on a nostalgia tour (and sure, maybe it was that) but it was damn entertaining. Weird at times, but also a whole lot of fun.

For more on Lionel Richie's tour, visit her website.