Lessons from Timberlake's sold-out show post-Grammys

Andrea Mandell, USA TODAY | USATODAY

Justin Timberlake's Grammy performance was just a taste of what he's got in store for fans. At his sold-out concert at the Hollywood Palladium late Sunday night — his first real show since 2009 — Timberlake loosened that Tom Ford bow tie and previewed his plans for The 20/20 Experience. Here are six things we learned:

There was plenty of time to stop at In-N-Out Burger en route from the Grammys. Timberlake's tickets said the show began at 9 p.m. In reality, he hit the Palladium's stage, guitar in hand (and bow tie undone), at 11:34 p.m.

Timberlake may have a new big band sound, but he's not precious about it. During the intimate, high-energy 90-minute show he delivered a ton of his old hits, re-tooling most with the soulful 16-piece band that accompanied him earlier on the Grammys stage. FutureSex/Love Sound benefited from his new horn section, electric guitars infused My Love, and he kicked off Summer Love a cappella. "Are we there yet?" Timberlake asked the crowd, plowing through three familiar hits before going near anything new.

Speaking of, those new songs have traction. "I'd like to do a new song for you now," Timberlake told the packed house, launching into Pusher Love Girl. Then, after Summer Love and Senorita, he introduced That Girl. Both songs played well in the venue, and kept the crowd dancing. In all, Timberlake played just three new songs from The 20/20 Experience.

He's got big plans for the new album. "I just want to take the opportunity to thank all of you for coming out tonight," he told the Los Angeles crowd. "I must confess, it's been awhile. And for that, I apologize." (Fans forgave, cheering.) He continued, "It's going to be a fun year. I hope to see all of your drunk faces when I come back on tour at the Staples Center."

JT's got his sea legs back. Timberlake led his nattily dressed band through his catalogue with Sinatra-like ease, peppering crowd-pleasers with the unexpected, from a tightly choreographed rendition of The Jacksons' Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground) to a killer segue into INXS' Need You Tonight. At $118.50 a pop, tickets weren't cheap (neither were the $12 drinks), but complaints were scant. Especially when Timberlake rolled out his new dance move: the shovel. Worth every penny, if you ask us.

His friends are loyal. Just hours after their throwback Grammys performance, Jay-Z hopped up on the Palladium stage with Timberlake for a Suit & Tie redux (this time, Timberlake even managed to brush a little dirt off Hov's shoulder). For the final act, Timberlake invited Timbaland up to sing the hit that fueled their partnership into the socially networked future: SexyBack. With that, Timberlake threw a kiss and a peace sign to the crowd, bowed and called it a night just before 1 a.m. A very merry Grammys after-party, indeed.

Timberlake's full set list:

Like I Love You

My Love

Cry Me a River

Pusher Love Girl

Summer Love

Señorita

That Girl

FutureSex/LoveSound

Interlude: INXS' Need You Tonight

Until the End of Time

Rock Your Body

Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground)

What Goes Around...Comes Around

Suit & Tie

SexyBack