Energetic, R&B; Valentines From Sweat, Hollister and Pru

Keith Sweat led a night of familiar, unsurprising modern R&B; formula at the Universal Amphitheatre on Wednesday. And yet with the help of support acts Dave Hollister and Pru, the Valentine’s Day concert enjoyed a welcome burst of raw energy, tapping a vein of soul and gospel along with Sweat’s own slick tear-jerkers.

It was far from the meaningful cries and whispers typical of the young soul revivalists D’Angelo and Maxwell, but Sweat could frequently touch a nerve, purring “You’re not a little girl; you’re a woman” to the quivering young females near the stage.

Despite his role in helping create the dynamic New Jack Swing sound in the ‘80s, Sweat hasn’t stretched his repertoire much in the years since, musically or lyrically. On Wednesday, songs still tended to fall into the categories of up-tempo dance or slow ballad. But he was an effective enough showman at the Universal--passionate, upbeat and physical, not at all the rigid crooner he appears to be in photographs and videos.

Second-billed Dave Hollister offered a more traditional approach, performing material from his new “Chicago . . . The Movie” album. Though he was accompanied by recorded music tracks, the presence of a trio of big-voiced backup singers kept Hollister’s half-hour set rooted in a rich gospel setting.

Hollister was joined briefly by singer Mark Middleton, his former partner in Blackstreet. But Hollister was just as powerful alone, crying and stomping across the stage in his rust-colored leathers as his backing singers harmonized, “Babe, I gotta go. . . . “

Opening the night was the singer Pru. Though she’s not as quirky or original as Macy Gray, her fusion of modern and classic soul was rousing and authentically soulful.