This was the first time I’ve ever walked into a room packed with thousands of people and been instructed to put my middle fingers up and say the F word.

The order came from Ludacris, who helped LMFAO open for the Black Eyed Peas concert on Tuesday, February 23 at the Verizon Center in Washington, D.C.

Ludacris continued to perform, rapping his part from Usher’s “Yeah!” and his own “Pimpin’ All Over the World.”  He even rapped part of his 2007 hit “Money Maker.”

Ludacris ended with “How Low” – a new hit single from his album “Battle of the Sexes.” He got everyone in the crowd pumped up, with the bass so loud that it shook the entire Verizon Center.

Expecting the Black Eyed Peas to finally begin the show, I was surprised when David Guetta, clad in red leather pants and space boots, popped up a mere 50 feet in front of me. A huge disco ball spun its light on the crowd, as Guetta proceeded to deejay.

Guetta abruptly stopped and bid the crowd a good night. He also told us “GIVE IT UP FOR THE BLACK EYED PEAS!”

The Black Eyed Peas didn’t walk onto the stage; they rose up from platforms in the floor, illuminated by green lights that gave off their signature futuristic vibe.

Once Fergie, Will.i.am, Taboo, and Apl.de.ap were all on stage, they opened with a peppy, crowd-pleasing rendition of “Let’s Get It Started.”

The Peas kept up the energy with “Rock Your Body.” Then they performed one of my personal favorites from their recent album “The E.N.D. (Energy Never Dies),” “Meet Me Halfway.”

I’ve always liked Fergie, but until I heard “Meet Me Halfway” live, I never knew the extent of her singing capabilities. She is much more talented live.

The Peas sang “Don’t Phunk With My Heart,” and then, mysteriously, they all left the stage except for Will.i.am. Will.i.am proceeded to freestyle rap the Blackberry Messages that the crowd had sent to him, which were displayed on two huge screens that backed the stage.

This showcase of Will.i.am’s talent was mind-boggling – he had no prep! It was all impromptu.

Fergie, Apl.de.ap, and Taboo returned on stage for an exciting performance of “Imma Be,” followed by “My Humps” and “Missing You.” Then, the Peas left the stage, except for Apl.de.ap.

He performed “Mare” and was followed by Taboo’s solo rap. Taboo captivated the audience not with his rap, but with the fact that he was zooming around on a neon motorcycle that was suspended above the stage and pit.

And finally, Fergie, who came on stage in a silver, eye-catching mini-dress and sang “Fergalicious,” “Glamorous,” and “Big Girls Don’t Cry.” Adding in extra notes here and there, Fergie impressed the crowd with her ability to sing her heart out.

When Fergie finished, she left the stage and Will.i.am came back on, wearing an Iron Man-like robot costume, which left only his chin exposed.

Having grabbed the entire crowd’s attention, the rest of his performance was a letdown. Will.i.am merely began deejaying. Don’t get me wrong, he deejayed good music ranging from Michael Jackson to Estelle to Journey. But the crowd came to hear the Black Eyed Peas perform, not a random slew of other artists’ songs.

The Peas finally all came back on stage after the band performed a fun instrumental version of “Sweet Dreams,” by Eurythmics. The Peas also performed “Now Generation” and “Pump It.”

After “Pump It,” Will.i.am began a speech to the audience by first thanking parents for letting their children come to a concert on a school-night, saying that “everybody’s gotta go out once in a while and live life.”

Will.i.am continued his speech by thanking everyone in the audience for helping the Black Eyed Peas to make it big. Then, unexpectedly, he began speaking about all of the fighting in the U.S. today, particularly over politics. It wasn’t just a rant though; he concluded by asking the audience, “Where is the love?”

The Black Eyed Peas, of course, proceeded to sing this song, their original break-out hit from 2004’s “Elephunk” album. Once the song ended, they left the stage.

The screens above the stage lit up, asking “DO YOU WANT MORE?” and commanding the audience to “MAKE SOME NOISE!”

In the encore, the Black Eyed Peas ended the night with fan favorites “Boom Boom Pow” and “I’ve Got a Feeling.”

Confetti was shot from cannons on the floor, and it was the perfect ending to the concert. The Black Eyed Peas definitely never let the energy die.

Mollyann Pais can be reached for comment at [email protected]