Together or apart, Faith Hill and Tim McGraw put on a dazzling show to open their Soul-2 Soul II tour Friday in a sold-out Nationwide Arena. Hill and McGraw performed for two consecutive nights in Columbus Ohio, "in the round" on a multimillion-dollar stage. Shaped like a cross with a circle in the middle, the stage had long catwalks, plenty of steps and could project videos.

A black tunnel hid the band and singers as introductory music played. The band got into position from the side, and after they started playing, Hill rose from under the stage to sing; then, so did McGraw, directly across from her.

The first song was Like We Never Loved At All, the couple's latest duet. They sang with their backs to each other, as if acting out the lyrics.

After the song, McGraw disappeared below the stage, and Hill began her set. Once her set ended, they both emerged from the center, sat and sang McGraw's Angry All the Time, again, as if they meant it.

Next came Let's Make Love, and the duo left their seats, but still didn't look at each other. After McGraw's set, they came out and brushed backs as they did Shotgun Rider, a Marty Robbins hit from 1975. Finally, they turned to face each other from opposite ends of the stage during It's Your Love. Oddly enough, next came Bob Marley's No Woman No Cry, with McGraw singing about sitting in Trenchtown.

The 2½-hour concert was continuous and well-paced, without an opening act or having to break down the stage. Hill's band and McGraw's Dancehall Doctors were spread all over the stage and permitted to wander freely.

Meanwhile, Hill and McGraw shook hands and waved as they sang. One could complain that they didn't sing all of their hits. At first, Hill looked as if she were doing aerobics on the stage, and McGraw missed a few of his lyrics. Yet both hit their stride during the concert.

Hill scored with strong vocals on The Lucky One, This Kiss and Piece of My Heart; and McGraw's bad-boy persona and vulnerable voice connected on songs such as When the Stars Go Blue, Unbroken and Live Like You Were Dying.

At the end, Hill and McGraw were seated across from each other, singing into an old-fashioned microphone. The evening ended with a kiss, and the happily married couple walked hand in hand through the satisfied audience.