From the moment the lights fade and the first bars of Never Too Much are audible, the house full of fans at the Jahrhunderthalle in Höchst, Germany, are on their feet and screaming.

Balladeer extraordinaire Luther Vandross emerges, stylishly attired in a black tuxedo jacket embellished with silver sequins down one side, across one shoulder and down the back. Already on stage are his featured female vocalists, Lisa Fischer and Ava Cherry, wearing elegantly sexy, black sequinned gowns, and their cohort, Kevin Owens, is in the same color with a short sparkling tuxedo jacket.

The scene inside the hall is quite different from a typical sit-down concert in Germany. The full house, about half Americans and half Germans, is rocking. The few people who sit quietly through the concert look out of place among the screaming, dancing crowd as Vandross, with that velvet voice, keeps women, as well as the macho males, talking back to him, "Sing it, baby," "Come on Luther."

Early in the show, Vandross promises the audience that they will get something that they couldn’t get anyplace else. He doesn’t disappoint.

He keeps the excited crowd in an uproar by performing hit after hit — Here and Now, A House Is Not a Home, Stop To Love, Never Too Much, Searching, Don’t Want To be a Fool, and more.

Despite the influence of new jack swing and rap, Vandross’ soulful, gospel-flavored music has transcended generations, genders and time. His style is sophisticated, gentle. His delivery lavish. His on-stage demeanor sincere.

Vandross spends most of his time leisurely walking from one end of the stage to the other singing, singing and singing. And it sounds like it’s coming from his soul.

About 90 minutes, roughly 15 songs and a wardrobe change later, Vandross sends the crowd into a frenzy with his No. 1 R&B single Power of Love/Love Power.

Sometime toward the end of the show, rows of fans raise lighted sparklers or cigarette lighters, and sway back and forth to the powerful love songs that are so reflective of Vandross.

When Vandross finally leaves the stage, exhilarated and dripping with perspiration, the crowd begs for more. He comes back, one more-time, and does a medley of tunes from his new album Never Let Me Go, including How Deep Is Your Love, and the title cut.

Vandross has said that his music is sensual and deals with romantic things. It may even reflect his personal life. In the past he has admitted that whether he’s romantically happy or unhappy affects his weight — losing it when he’s involved and gaining it back when a relationship fails.

On Saturday, he was not at the 195 pounds he showed off a few years ago, but rather, well on his way back to his sometimes 300. But Vandross, nether heavy or slender, does not lose those creamy vocals and can deliver a silky love ballad with an unmatched flair.

During a brief chitchat with the audience, he admires some fan’s tie and while introducing his backup singers and band, he jokingly complains about having to climb the two or three stairs on the set, and "burning calories."

But Vandross’ followers, who voted him the No. 1 entertainer last year in an Ebony Magazine poll, love him the way he is.

The backup trio of Fischer, Cherry and Owens provided wonderful but non-intrusive singing and dancing. Cherry, definitely the dancer of the group, recently released a single.

Fischer served as the concert’s opening act. For about 25 minutes, she crooned and worked her way through some extremely high notes, which included her huge hit How Can I Ease the Pain.