Posted: Sun., Mar. 28, 2004, 11:30am PT

N.E.R.D.; Black Eyed Peas

(Wiltern LG, Los Angeles; 2,200 capacity; $29.50)

By Jeff Miller

Presented by Clear Channel. Reviewed March 25, 2004.

Bands: (N): Pharrell Williams, Chad Hugo, Shay, John Ostby, Eric Fawcett, Brent Paschte, Christian Twigg. (BEP): Taboo, Will.I.Am, Fergie, Apl De Ap, Printz Board, George Pajon Jr., Tim Izo Orindgreff, Keith Harris. Guest: Justin Timberlake.

Though this bill looked like a well-planned co-headlining gig from two of the most promising names in hip-hop -- one an underground mainstay gone mainstream, the other a side project of rap's best production team -- the night belonged to neither the Black Eyed Peas or N.E.R.D. It was Justin Timberlake who shined brighter than the others, casually guesting in both groups' sets and overtaking the evening with the kind of credible charm that has made the former boy-band member one of a very small number of the pop elite.

Timberlake first emerged at the end of Black Eyed Peas' set to sing the duet "Where Is the Love" from last year's A&M release "Elephunk." Though the rest of the set was a joust between their old-school hip-hop numbers and their newer pop direction, Timberlake's appearance was by far the high point, overshadowing the muddy mix and mike problems that plagued the rest of their set.

N.E.R.D. have long been a risky proposition live, with frontman/Neptunes maestro Pharrell Williams often having to yell at audience members to convince them to dance. But with Timberlake on his side (and onstage) for most of the set, Williams became an adept frontman, eschewing songs from the just-released Virgin album "Fly or Die" to concentrate on crowdpleasers from "In Search of ..." (2002). Almost every choice he made was a good one, from inviting a woman from the audience to shake it during one song to letting his more-than-able backing band take the lead on another.

Only during the encore -- after Timberlake chided the crowd into inviting N.E.R.D. back onstage -- did Williams falter, asking the audience to move toward the front of the theater in an ill-advised move that caused security concerns for the remainder of the set. But, like Timberlake's ever-present backup vocals, it seemed like Williams was just trying to extend the fun. And, like Timberlake's appearance, it unquestionably worked.