Supreme leader of dark and beautiful souls, Lana Del Rey, descended upon the Schottenstein Center Tuesday night in all her lustfully, gloomy glory to transform a cold Columbus into a film-noir old Hollywood.
Del Rey’s heartbroken and lovestruck anthems that reflect her ’60s-inspired, bad-girl-yet-America’s-sweetheart-that-bathes-in-Coca-Cola image has thrown her into stardom and attracted people of all backgrounds to her first-ever show in Columbus.
Del Rey sang a mixture of songs from all four of her albums in her signature deep and haunting tone, contradicting her gentle and airy speaking voice that conversed with the crowd countless times. She performed classics such as “Born to Die” and “Summertime Sadness,” while also showcasing her newer works “Lust For Life,” “White Mustang” and “Change.”
Del Rey interacted with the audience the entire show, throwing flowers, taking song requests, giving away a necklace she wore, discussing the current state of the country and women’s rights, and even taking a full seven minutes to take pictures and sign autographs when she climbed down into the crowd mid-performance.
A conversation about the women’s rights marches occurring around the country led her to sing an impromptu verse and chorus of her song “God Bless America – And All The Beautiful Women In It,” a moment she thanked the arena for sharing with her.
The stage served as Del Rey’s personal beach, decorated with palm trees and grasses, heavy rocks covered in moss, and the ocean projected onto the backdrop and floor. Her two dancers flowed to the rhythm of the waves in white fur and black ensembles.
Del Rey emerged onstage through a cloud of mist, with a shadowy presence that possessed the very soul of the space, dressed in a tiny leather skirt and black boots that reflected the hazy pink lights overhead.
She danced in front of the changing phases of the moon, old Hollywood montages, footage of civil rights protests and white sandy beaches for an hour and a half — a span of time that felt like seconds.
The crowd was never quiet, ignited by the energy of her sheer passion and obvious love for her fans. Del Rey walked off stage with an armful of bouquets thrown onstage at the end of the show—a testament to her otherworldly performance. If you missed this masterpiece of a show, don’t worry — she promised she’d be back.
