ALL-4-ONE SOUNDS DRAW SCREAMS (REVIEW)

According to All-4-One's Blitzz Records manager Chris O'Brien, the singing group likes to reach out to their audiences and make them a part of the show.

But when All-4-One's singer Tony Borowiak ventured down off the stage at the Show Me Center Saturday night for a person-to-person solo during the California quartet's concert, he seemed a little surprised by how involved much of the audience became.

Surrounded by a swarm of screaming teen-agers, Borowiak did a good job of keeping his composure and completed the song even though 50 or so kids were crammed up against him. Before the final note died in the metal rafters of the arena, Borowiak began wriggling his way out of the crowd to rejoin the relative safety of the stage.

All-4-One, which is composed of Borowiak, Alfred Nevarez, Jamie Jones and Delious, was in town for a leg of their United States tour promoting their new album, "And The Music Speaks." They'll do between 180 and 200 shows this year.

While the reported 700 tickets sold for the show was smaller than the group is used to -- coming off two shows in Hong Kong which saw crowds of 13,000 each night -- the energy was there.

Two of their biggest hits, "I Can Love You Like That," and "So Much In Love," bracketed some of their newer songs and some old favorites.

At one point the four donned exaggerated "Afro" wigs and did disco-era songs by Sister Sledge and The Jackson Five.

The exaggerated costumes and disco sounds emphasized the slow a cappella style of singing the group is known for. When it was time for "So Much In Love," Borowiak, Nevarez, Jones and Delious embraced the crowd with their voices with little musical accompaniment.

When they ended the concert with their biggest hit, "I Swear," they did so with the bass notes of Nevarez and the high notes of Borowiak enriching and deepening the sound of Delious and Jones, who were alternating on lead vocals.

Together, All-4-One demonstrated their talent as a musical unit that makes the most of its intimate sound.