"The E.N.D.", as in Energy Never Dies, is what pop sensation Black Eyed Peas titled their latest album. But in their sold-out concert Saturday night at Scottrade Center, the energy felt curiously dim.

On paper and on record, Black Eyed Peas are one of the biggest groups around. Members Will.i.am, Fergie, Taboo and Apl.de.ap are putting forth their own brand of electro hip-pop, or whatever one might call it, and it goes over like crazy. The group's succession of top hits is keeping the Black Eyed Peas in flavor, and "Imma Be" and "Boom Boom Pow" remain the kind of irresistible jams only they can pull off.

But the show the group brought to town was all spectacle, never spectacular, and always by the numbers.

It played out on a big open stage with an extended ramp, yet came off underdeveloped and weathered, as if it'd been out on the road a little too long and needed rest.

There was a whole futuristic thing going on with the staging and costumes, but it felt instantly outdated.

It was "so 2000 and late," to borrow one of singer Fergie's signature lyrics.

Not that the over 12,000 fans in the house minded any of this. They were too busy partying hard at a show that was a long time coming -- the concert was announced back in March.

The superstar group rose up from beneath the stage one by one, culminating in group leader Will.i.am, so the Black Eyes Peas could predictably fire up "Let's Get It Started."

"Rock That Body," "Meet Me Halfway" and "Imma Be" from the group's multiple Grammy-winning "The E.N.D.", followed, along with older, sillier ditties such as "My Humps," "Don't Phunk With My Heart" and "Pump It" (but no "Hey Mama" or "Shut Up").

Each group member had their own solo segment, which came off better than the group songs with the crew mostly traipsing back and forth on the ramp with little unison.

Will.i.am, key figure that he is, got two spotlights. The first was a corny bit in which he free-styled "fresh" raps influenced by Blackberry instant messages that rolled out on the projection screens. But all it served to do was show the group sinks to any corporate stunt.

That was later followed by a near show-saving DJ spin in which Will.i.am, in a robot suit and mask and elevated on a sleek platform, turned Scottrade Center into a one big rave complete with lasers and a schizophrenic song selection that included Journey, Nirvana, the Eurythmics, Michael Jackson, and of course his collaboration with Usher, "OMG."

The DJ platform rose as the Grandmaster Flash lyrics "higher baby, get higher baby" blared out from "White Lines.

Fergie's moment, not the best vocally, was her chance to remind us of her separate, successful solo career as she whipped out "Fergalicious," "Glamorous," and "Big Girls Don't Cry," not to mention plugs of her perfume and shoe lines.

Apl.de.ap rose to the occasion with "Bebot," while Taboo, an underrated force in the group, sailed above the crowd riding a glammed-up "Tron"-like cycle for "Rockin to the Beat," the night's best effect.

If you were an old school fan of Black Eyed Peas, back in their better though less popular pre-Fergie days with 1998's "Behind the Front" and 2000's "Bridging the Gap," there wasn't much for you at this concert.

But then again, those fans were probably not in attendance anyway.

Opening the concert was Auto-Tune rapper-singer T-Pain, known for songs such as "Can't Believe It," "Buy U a Drank" and "Chopped N Skrewed."

Black Eyed Peas set list

"Let's Get It Started"

"Rock That Body"

"Meet Me Halfway"

"Don't Phunk With My Heart"

Will.i.am freestyle

"Imma Be"

"My Humps"

"Missing You"

Apl.de.ap spotlight with "Bebot"

Taboo spotlight with "Rockin to the Beat"

Fergie spotlight with "Fergalicious," "Glamorous" and "Big Girls Don't Cry"

will.i.am DJ spotlight with "OMG"

"Pump It"

"Where is the Love?"

Encore

"Boom Boom Pow"

"I Gotta Feeling"