Philly pop star Pink powers through red-hot national anthem despite the flu

Even though she was conspicuously ailing two nights earlier at her Armory pre-game concert near U.S. Bank Stadium, enduring pop star Pink reiterated her resiliency at game time Sunday by delivering a red-hot national anthem.

The Philadelphia-area native born Alecia Moore, 38, wore a silvery jacket instead of Eagles garb onto the field and stepped up with a soaring "Star Spangled Banner" that even had fans in Patriots gear cheering her victory.

While many anthem singers lip-sync to a pre-recorded version to avert most stadiums' echoey acoustics — and any local U2 or Guns N' Roses fan will tell you that our stadium is one — it was widely believed Pink was going to sing it live Sunday

It sure looked and sounded as if it was all done live inside the stadium Sunday. The fact that Pink smirkingly removed gum from her mouth just before the first note — probably soothing her vocal cords — was a good sign she was delivering it in the moment.

In her sold-out concert Friday night at the Armory, the "What About Us" singer complained that her kindergartner gave her the flu virus before this week's big gigs (but she didn't care "because the kid is so cute"). She cut the concert short by a few songs and wasn't quite as dexterous as she usually is (but was still plenty dynamic).

The pre-game music also included a tender version of "America the Beautiful," delivered by Broadway star Leslie Odom Jr. of "Hamilton" fame with help from two local kids choirs, Bloomington-based Angelica Cantanti Youth Choirs and St. Paul's ComMUSICation.

Odom returns to Minneapolis for two Orchestra Hall concerts on March 23 and 24. Pink will be back in the Twin Cities to play Xcel Energy Center on March 12 — hopefully feeling better, but perhaps it doesn't matter.

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