Fans of singer Lady GaGa know to expect the unexpected. Those who have previously attended one of her shows know to expect something great of the Monster Ball, and last night, as part of a two-night sold-out stay, she brought her creative vision to San Jose, California at the HP Pavilion. The fans were given yet another glimpse into her creative genius. The singer did more than just sing -- she set those in attendance free for the evening! It became very clear early on in the evening that the singer is quickly on her way to becoming iconic.
Lady GaGa brought along Semi Precious Weapons who have served as her supporting act on the tour. The band has been playing with the singer since 2006. They performed several songs off of their debut album, You Love You. They effectively got the crowed even more excited to see Lady GaGa take to the stage. The band consists of members Justin Tranter, Stevy Pyne, Cole Whittle, and Dan Crean. Singer Justin Tranter of the band said that the very first gig they performed with Lady GaGa only had twelve people in attendance. He said that even then though they felt like superstars back then, Lady GaGa is now a superstar. He thanked the audience at the HP Pavilion for consisting of more than twelve people. Tranter also said that San Jose was more fun than Los Angeles. They performed their last song, and the crowd waited for Lady GaGa to start her show, all while listening to some of the greatest hits of Michael Jackson: “Billie Jean,” “Smooth Criminal,” “Thriller” and more. Listening to the legendary performer’s greatest hits left one to reflect on what might have been had Jackson lived to embark on his This Is It tour and what would have happened had Lady GaGa opened for the tour; a true epic event in history it would certainly have been. Michael Jackson was and always will be one of the greatest entertainers to walk the fact of the earth. Apart from his talent, his creative vision is what separated him from other entertainers -- he is in a class by himself. Lady GaGa, for this generation, is also in a class by herself. She, like Jackson, is larger than life when on stage, and she has the talent to back it up -- vocally, and creatively. She is an innovator, and her genius knows no boundaries, and it has yet to be fully expressed. The Monster Ball was a creative wonderland -- a sight for the eyes, and an auditory adventure unlike anything experienced. Again, like Jackson, Lady GaGa spreads a message of love and is eager to impart the importance of it on her fans -- or as she calls them, her “little monsters.”
Given the fact that the two shows in San Jose quickly sold-out, the singer will be making her way back to Northern California when she performs at the Oracle Arena in Oakland, California on March 22 (tickets are currently on sale now, and are available through www.ticketmaster.com).
The time came, and Lady GaGa took to the stage as the lights dimmed, the crowd was uncontrollable. Her presence incited a reaction reminiscent of every major superstar. “Dance in the Dark” began to play as her silhouette was visible behind a purple shaded screen. As the screen lifted, she was revealed to be wearing a purple leather jacket with oversized shoulder pads and a jeweled encrusted cross on the back. That quickly went into “Glitter and Grease” and “Just Dance” as she lifted the hood of a car and began to play a keyboard that lay hidden inside.
Lady GaGa has had a series of hits. Every new song seems to become more successful and popular than the last. Despite already being a huge presence in the world of music, as time goes on, she becomes an even brighter shining star. During the concert, the performer continued to perform songs from The Fame. “Beautiful, Dirty, Rich,” “Vanity,” and “The Fame” were then performed and the crowd went wild when she came out donned in a nun outfit to perform “Love Game.”
After a few wardrobe changes, other songs performed during the set were “Boys Boys Boys,” “Money Honey” and her seminal hit, “Telephone.” Unfortunately Beyonce was not present to sing along with GaGa, but it was fabulous just the same. Lady GaGa’s dancing is on point. The choreography was performed perfectly. There are many entertainers in the world, but Lady GaGa is a superstar. She is larger than life when on stage, and she has the talent to back it up -- vocally, and creatively. She is an innovator, and true creative genius. The Monster Ball was a creative escape, showing fans that one’s dreams can be manifest into physical matter.
The mood changed a bit as Lady GaGa took to her piano to sing “Speechless”, the song that she wrote for her father who she says is her best friend. She told the audience that whenever things are not going so well for her, her father tells her to just keep doing what she is doing, because her fans will never disappoint her. “You and I” which was a song written for her boyfriend was then played, and the singer asked her fans to do some “hippy sh*t” and hold the hand of the person sitting next to them. It was a unifying moment for all.
As the song ended and the singer proceeded to sing her next song, she had a wardrobe change as she entered the “spinner” and emerged in an angelic white outfit complete with wings to perform, "So Happy I Could Die." The singer then proceeded to sing “Monster,” and “Teeth.”
Throughout the evening, the singer told the audience that the Monster Ball would set them free, no matter what their station in life was. She went on to say that everyone is a superstar and that no one can take that away from them -- except themselves. She said that at one point in her life she was told that she “wasn’t pretty enough, skinny enough, talented enough” to make it. Well, Lady GaGa has proven anyone who actually told her those things wrong! She is currently one of the biggest stars in the world, and that is achieved with major talent. Her fans adore her -- not just for her creativity and talent, but because she continues to impart only positive messages to them. Her message of love is uplifting and something that is perhaps, even more powerful than the music itself.
The seminal hit “Alejandro” was then performed, and before the song started, she lay on the floor, speaking to God. She told him that she was confused because she thought he loved everyone. And if he created everyone, despite all of the various differences and categorizations that exist among individuals, then he must love everyone.
The crowd roared ferociously when the first bars of “Poker Face” were played and she and her dancers began to dance to the Grammy-winning tune. At one point in time, “Poker Face” was inescapable on the radio, and it was certainly one of the best songs released as a single in 2009.
Lady GaGa is known for her fierce fashion sense, and ability to take her vision and turn it into something wearable, and making a statement while doing it. The imagery that she uses is just as powerful. Like the song title suggests “Paparazzi” is about loving someone, as our culture loves celebrity. In her performance of the song during the Monster Ball, a large monster is revealed -- fame, which is seen as a “fame monster” takes front and center on the stage. Its eyes glow as it comes alive and starts moving about after the singer. At the end of the performance, GaGa shouts to the audience, “we killed the fame monster.” This is indeed powerful imagery, and commentary on the state of what fame can sometimes, and often times does to celebrities. There have been such hugely famous artists who are stalked by the paparazzi, and even meet their ultimate downfall due to the dark side that can sometimes manifest in destructive and fatal ways. Lady GaGa and her dancers said goodnight to the audience in San Jose, thanking them. However, it didn’t last for long. After the crowd could not be contained, one started to hear the opening of ‘Bad Romance,” and Lady GaGa was revealed to be in a spinning sphere. The song has been a radio smash ever since it was first released -- no surprise, everything the singer releases goes on to become a hit.
For those who have not experienced The Monster Ball, I highly recommend that you do so. You will be thrilled with the experience. Lady GaGa has arrived, and is here to stay. We can all look forward to seeing the star evolve even further, and of course, fans can look forward to seeing new, creative masterpieces in the future.
For more information on Lady GaGa’s Monster Ball tour, please visit http://www.ladygaga.com/events/.
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Lady Gaga is a singer who can deal with bad moments.
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