Bright blond wigs and giant hair bow-ties spotted the audience, dulled only by the massive amounts of sequined clothing and accessories. Hundreds of different versions of Lady Gaga had come to see her in person, and despite their nose-bleed seats, they were decked out.
These Gaga reincarnates served as entertainment for the beginning of the night as Lady Gaga kept her fans in suspense before her entrance. As the clock approached 10 p.m., the little monsters started to get out their claws and grew restless with the anticipation of a show that started almost two hours late. Maybe it was setting up her rumored 52 semi-trucks worth of stage that took so long, or maybe she took forever to get dressed up in one of her infamous costumes, like so many of her fans had done. My guess is the stage set up, as most of her costumes would be better described as a lack of costume. Outfits were different for almost every song, but her transitions were mostly seamless. She obviously learned nothing from Janet Jackson however, because she was toying around with a wardrobe malfunction the entire show. Nevertheless, when Gaga finally graced the audience with her presence, she was nothing short of sensational.
Gaga was both terrifying and inspiring with almost every song she sang. Reminiscent of Galadriel possessed by the ring in “Lord of The Rings,” Gaga switched from sweet and encouraging diversity to frighteningly intimidating as she emitted righteous screams at diversity’s oppressors. Of course, she added a theatrical aspect that helped move the show along, although at times the connection to the actual music was a bit of a stretch. As part of the concert’s theme, Gaga was helping some loyal fans get to her show when they encountered the famed “fame monster” towards the end of the show. The monster was far from scary. It looked like a giant lantern fish with tentacles that it used to undress Gaga (in preparation for her final few songs).
Gaga interacted very well with the audience, making it evident why she has such a cult following. At one point, Gaga got out her cell phone and called one of the audience members, a great segue into “Telephone,” during which the audience sang Beyoncé’s part.
Her talent was obvious. She sang one song that she had written before she was famous a cappella and previewed a song from her new album. Her pianos were hidden in the back of cars and partially in the ground, and during “You and I,” the song from her new album, the piano was on fire.
Every aspect of the show screamed in support of LGBT pride. She sang “Born This Way” twice, once behind the piano as a ballad and once in the finale of the show, which culminated in a fantastic display of a rainbow flag, with her flamboyant back-up dancers surrounding her and the crowd going wild. “Born This Way” was preceded with “Bad Romance” as part of the encore, and Gaga emerged in her “monster ball,” a large gyroscope, for the most fantastic performance of the night.
