Destiny's Child went rollin' on the river Thursday night at Riverbend, as its first headlining tour showcased the group's versatility with mixed results.

        The “TRL Tour,” a spinoff of MTV's Total Request Live program, was also a celebration of the cable channel (which turned 20 this month). Fittingly, it was an evening of hip-hop, the style MTV has been most responsible in popularizing.

        Hosted by DC leader Beyonce Knowles' 14-year-old sister Solange, the marathon, 4-hours-plus concert opened with mercifully short sets by three forgettable acts — rap trio City High, Destiny's Child wannabes 3LW and the female pop-vocal quartet Dream.

        But the two rap acts that followed were both star quality.

        Eve, part of Philadelphia's Ruff Ryders, dominated the stage. Powerful and charismatic, she proved she deserves her reputation as the toughest female rapper around.

        In front of two giant, stylized golden scorpions that looked borrowed from Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (her new CD is called Scorpion), she stalked the stage, pouring out rhymes in a hypnotic flow. She didn't need any gimmicks for her 25-minute show. Her only nod to showmanship was a couple of flashpots.

        Next up was multi-platinum rapper Nelly and his group, St. Lunatics. They showed how they got their name with their St. Louis jerseys and a stage that included a St. Louis arch.

        Despite his success with last year's massive hit, “Country Grammar,” he insists he's just part of a group. He downplayed his stardom for the 50-minute set, chanting percussively with the other four main rappers of St. Lunatics in a show that got the mixed, near-sellout crowd up and dancing.

        But it was the expected finale, “Country Grammar,” with its “E-I-E-I Ohhhhhh” chorus that turned the night into a party.

        Destiny's Child was the only act to field live musicians. Like it's new Survivor album, the trio's 65-minute show featured a large helping of ballads — “Emotion,” “My Heart Still Beats,” “Dangerously In Love.” But grouping them together caused the show to dangerously bog down, as the young crowd got a serious case of the squirms.

        Beyonce wants her group to be the hip-hop Supremes (though she's far more generous than Diana Ross, happily sharing lead vocals with Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams). But she can't do it overnight, and Destiny's Child's strongest stuff remains its uptempo material.

        After an a cappella gospel medley, the trio disappeared for yet another costume change. Dressed as three Michael Jacksons, complete with black fedoras and single, sequined gloves, they came back to rock the house with “Bootylicious.”

        After a brief “Nasty Girl,” they paid tribute to Tina Turner with a “Proud Mary” that copied the Ikettes' choreography. Then it was back to their own hits with “Jumpin, Jumpin' ” and a “Survivor” that found them in grass skirts and matching anklets, looking like Vegas showgirls in Africa.

        For the finale, the pop-R&B of “Happy Face,” they brought a few dozen members of the crowd up to dance and released clouds of confetti and hundreds of yellow smiley-face balloons.

        But it was an anti-climax. All the glitz couldn't hide the fact that they have no new songs as irresistible as “Say My Name” or “Jumpin' Jumpin'.”

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