2008 review: Just shy of 69, Tina Turner kicks it up at The Palace instead of kicking back

Rock icon Tina Turner passed away Tuesday at age 83. Below is Adam Graham's review of her Metro Detroit stop in November 2008, where she performed before thousands of fans at the Palace of Auburn Hills.

Tina Turner doesn't need to tour. She hasn't put out a new studio album in close to 10 years, and she supposedly retired from the road with her last blockbuster outing, 2000's Twenty Four Seven Tour.

And besides, there's the small matter of her being a week shy of her 69th birthday. Now is the time to give those famous legs a rest and kick back and enjoy retirement.

So why is she back on the road? Because she can still pull it off, that's why.

She proved as much Thursday night at The Palace of Auburn Hills, before an appreciative, near-sellout crowd of 14,000. She may not move like she used to and her voice may be a little more rough around the edges than it was in her heyday, but she's undoubtedly still Tina, teased mane and all, and there's still a lot to be said for that.

Turner introduced her two-hour, 10-minute show -- that's not counting the 30-minute intermission -- by saying it was a recap of work she's done in the past, but that wasn't entirely true. It was more of a Las Vegas-style revue, with Turner's hits mixed in with a handful of covers, including hits by the Rolling Stones ("Jumpin' Jack Flash" and "It's Only Rock 'n' Roll") and Robert Palmer ("Addicted to Love").

There was also a superfluous crew of dancers who seemed like they were estranged from the Madonna tour -- did the evening really need a ninja segment? -- and a pair of flashy Hollywood numbers for Turner's "Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome" theme, "We Don't Need Another Hero," and for her (wholly forgettable) James Bond theme, "Goldeneye."

Those portions of the show unfolded with elaborate staging and bursts of pyrotechnics -- Turner even donned her "Thunderdome" costume for "Hero" -- but it was overkill. Turner was at her best during a stripped-down three song suite that came after the intermission. Seated on a stool and striking a warm, relaxed vibe, she rolled out her versions of the Beatles' "Help!" and Al Green's "Let's Stay Together," in what was the most soulful and effective segment of the night.

We of course got "The Best" (meh) and "Proud Mary," but the cherry on top was when Turner performed a daring high-wire act, doing "Nutbush City Limits" on a cherry picker that extended out over the crowd.

Hanging over the railing a dozen feet above the crowd, there wasn't a hint of fear in Turner, but she upped the ante by prancing down the cherry picker's long, rail free ramp -- in heels, no less! -- that couldn't have been more than a foot wide. It's a stunt Britney Spears wouldn't even likely attempt, but Turner pulled it off with grace, moxie and effortless style.

agraham@detroitnews.comTwitter: @grahamorama