Yes, Justin Timberlake played the song from “Saturday Night Live” during an amazing set Saturday night at the Tacoma Dome.

You know the one. It’s about – um – putting something in a box. It’s the subject of the most infamous “SNL” skit since Christopher Walken demanded more cow bell. And it’s one of the most popular clips in the history of YouTube.com, having spawned a gang of parodies.

And it was also the cherry on top of a performance that had already been packed with too many crowd pleasing moments to count. Granted, JT was a bit coy as he introduced the number towards the end of his set.

“I’ve got some good news to tell you guys,” he said, sporting a big, goofy grin and sitting at a piano that had just risen from center stage. “I don’t like to brag, but it’s kinda fun,” he joked.

Then he started to play what appeared to be a tender ballad at first. But nearly all of the 21,000-plus on hand were quick to catch onto the joke -- an unplugged version of the raunhy "SNL" song. And many belted out the lyrics with unbridled enthusiasm.

“One, you cut a hole in the box …”

That’s about as much as I’ll quote here. But the reason Timberlake tossed the song into the show at the last second (it wasn’t on the official set list) was that it had just earned him an Emmy earlier in the day. Good Charlotte had already spilled the beans during their opening set. And go figure.

"Only in America," remarked Timberlake. "You guys watch too much You Tube. You know that, right?"

Not that the sophomoric gag was the only highlight of Timberlake's show. The previous two hours had been a jaw dropping showcase of the man's many talents: funky dance moves, synchronized with backup singers from his 12-peice backing band; prowess on piano, guitar and beat boxing; an an arresting falsetto that could make Prince jealous.
Well, maybe a little jealous.

And that’s not to mention all the frills that enhanced an already exciting performance. To call Timberlake’s set slick would be an understatement.

For starters, the show was delivered in the always satisfying in-the-round format, with a big, four-pronged stage set up in the middle of the arena floor. And the props and special effects included green, red and blue lasers; trap doors that allowed for dramatic exits and entrances; platforms that slid percussionists and keyboard players into different configurations; and semi-transparent curtains that doubled as video screens, with images of the pop star and other scenery projected onto them.

But back to Timberlake's actual performance, the easy and common thing that most people do is to compare him to a young Michael Jackson. But during over the course of the show, JT paid homage to several other soul, funk and R&B greats There were shades of Minneapolis funk in “Sexy Ladies.” (Think the Time’s “Walk,” but not quite as raunchy.) There were echoes of James Brown’s “Funky Drummer” in the syncopated percussion of “Damn Girl,” effectively expanding on the so so album version. And Timberlake’s goose bump raising set closer, “(Another Song) All Over Again” -- performed on the same piano he'd just played "... in a Box" on -- would have done Stevie Wonder proud.

Among other set highlights were “SexyBack,” one of the year’s biggest club bangers, and “What Goes Around.” The latter, obviously a kiss off to ex-girlfriend Britney Spears, seemed an appropriate set high point in the venue where JT reportedly dumped Brit a few years back. The song began with a sweeping, dramatic intro and gradually built up steam, peaking with Timberlake "saluting" his ex into a hand-held video camera, the gesture projected onto the curtains around him.

There have been many contenders for the distinction of King of Pop since Jacko’s sales started to decline and his bizarre off-stage antics tarnished his on-stage greatness. There's Usher, Chris Brown, Ne-Yo.

But JT is clearly the front runner. Let’s go with Prime Minister of Pop for now. And let’s have fun watching him develop over the course of a career that's sure to take him to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.