Rihanna doesn’t disappoint

There’s no denying Rihanna has star quality.

Whether souped-up bubblegum pop is your thing or not, it’s hard not to be impressed by the Barbadian singer’s dazzling, big-budget live show, which burst into town Tuesday night.

A crowd of about 12,000 mostly high-pitched teenage girls took in Rihanna’s Last Girl On Earth tour at the Saddledome. And seeing as the decibels remained high throughout the 90-minute concert, it seems very few went away disappointed.

Why would they? Rihanna gave them everything they’ve come to expect from a chart-topping superstar — hit singles, sexy dance routines, laser-light show, slick set design and costumes that wouldn’t look out of place in Lady Gaga’s closet.

The 22-year-old appeared quite dramatically — and rather elegantly — on a pedestal which glided forward from the back of the stage. Wearing a flowing black dress covered red lights, Rihanna was greeted with Bieber-like hysteria by her adoring fans.

The din grew even louder when she removed her first outfit to reveal a much skimpier costume for the second song of the night, Hard.Rihanna then straddled a bright pink army tank that matched her dancers’ bright pink machine guns. As far as concert themes and imagery goes, this one was pretty weak and perhaps a tad insulting to those who have actually served in the army.

One lucky fan got the thrill of her young life when RiRi grabbed her out of the crowd, gave her a bat and let her go wild on a beater car that appeared on stage for Shut Up and Drive.

Rihanna’s goth side came out — and by ‘goth side’ I mean she sang alongside dancers dressed as freaky, giant spiders — during the darker dancefloor anthem, Disturbia.