I went to the rodeo *four* times this year, twice for free. I actually paid my seventeen dollars (!!!) for Dylan and Neil Diamond, but ZZTop and Destiny's Child were gratis. I have some notes about Beyonce and co. First thing: great spectacle. They had like nine hundred costume changes and groups of hoppity dancers and balloons and streamers and a *flaming hoop* through which to walk... wow. And their drummer was pretty great (I maintain that they owe most of their success to Timbaland - skittish beats are the key). Second thing: call her Miss Knowles. 'Survivor' is incredibly mean-spirited as a song, but it's kind of *magnificently* awful. Beyonce, you kicked them out of the group already. They *have* no careers. Leave them alone! She's trying to channel Diana Ross and succeeding pretty well. (Although Diana is somewhat more subtle about being a bitch - a lesson to learn?) Third thing: covers of 'Ooh Child' and snippets of Outkast and 'Get Ur Freak On' went down well. And they actually did an entire 'bit' being the Ikettes doing 'Proud Mary', complete with flailing dance moves. Nice touch. Fourth thing: Ending the show with a giant cheque presentation from the 'Survivor Foundation' to Houston AIDS research - and then *immediately* shilling for their new remix album - was *unbelievably* tacky. Egomaniacal much?