OUTscene Editor
What you get when you combine Madonna, Cher and Elton? You get Lady Gaga!
I hadn't been this excited to see someone Live and In person, since Cher (in 2003) and Depeche Mode (2005). I connected with Gaga's style when I was present a sample of her 2008 Album to write a review for Q-Radio. Compared to the latest music it had the same potential as Madonna's and Cyndi Lauper's early albums of hit after hit.
So when Gaga's Monster Ball was scheduled to appear in Seattle (I mean Tacoma) I cleared my busy summer schedule to experience the essence of Gaga!
When I arrived at the Tacoma Dome this past Saturday, I was taken back to what it might have been like to have witnessed the height of Madonna mania (Blond Ambition) with Madonna impersonators running around; this time it was Little Gaga(s) or proper name, according to Gaga herself, "Little Monsters". Both men and women of all ages dressed in Gaga garb and Glam rock attire.
They flooded in, paying tribute to the star's quirky looks with blond bobs, body suits and bows made out of hair. It was like Halloween in August as fans of all shapes and sizes, women and men, took liberties with their outfits, baring skin and donning Viking horns, fairy wings and top hats.
With over 20,000 in attendance it was "LIttle Monster" city! The opening act was the Glamrock group, Semi-Precious weapons with Bi lead singer, Justin Tranter, who reminds you of a Blond Adam Lambert. (That review coming soon).
After a quick break, Gaga made her appearance. The crowd cheered just by the appearance of her shadow! For the next 2.5 hours the just continued throughout.
The popstress will earn an estimated $200 million from her worldwide tour, according to Billboard, and her Tacoma Dome stop demonstrated why.
Gaga and Virgin have partnered with homeless youth shelters and programs with strong LGBT outreach to attract volunteers willing to give eight hours of their time in exchange for concert tickets.
"Everyone stared at us like this," she said, with her mouth gaping wide.
She even called a Lucky 'Little Monster" on cell!
During the show, Lady Gaga changed a lot, at times wearing nothing but a bejeweled bra, panties and stiletto boots. Other outfits included a purple animal-print body suit paired with a jacket with padded shoulders; a plastic see-through dress; a red cloak; a spiky ice-queen dress with translucent wings; a puffy, sea-green dress with cubes; and a get-up made entirely of blond hair. At times, she resembled a villain out of a Tim Burton movie. How she changed so fast from each complicated outfit to the next is a mystery.
The show depicted a journey to the "Monster Ball," starting with a set patterned on the gritty streets of New York, complete with metal railings and neon signs. A rickety cab opened its hood, revealing a keyboard. Next up was a subway set, then a circular screen enclosed the star, placing her in a simulated twister. Trees popped up on stage and a giant, glowing angler fish with tentacles threatened to eat her alive. Dancers moved the enormous fish like a puppet, wiggling its tentacles around her.
But it was not all spectacle. Lady Gaga may juice up her show with lots of eye candy, but the main attraction is still her voice. She could scream, then follow up with gospel-style belting. For the bulk of her show, fans danced joyfully to her No. 1 hits, like "Alejandro," "Bad Romance," "Just Dance" and" Paparazzi." And unlike many pop stars, she was singing and dancing, heavily panting at the end of each — obviously not lip-syncing.
And while her song "Speechless" was the least favorite for some, turning into a chance for a bathroom break during the two-hour show, it was also a chance for her to just sing — she was literally stripped down to her skivvies, baring her soul at the microphone, thanking her fans for their loyalty.
"Tonight, I don't want you to leave loving me more," said Lady Gaga. "I want you to leave loving yourself more."
I had an awesome seat! Row 18, seat 24. In my row was media from various outlets. I had arrived! Spotted 3 seats from my right was Albert Rodriguez of the Seattle Gay News, 2 rows behind was SGN's Associate Editor and OURview contributor, Shaun Knittel, to my right was Gene Stout of Seattle P-I.com and a few seat to my left was Marian Liu of the Seattle Times.
The audience left in Total Gaga over Gaga!
