Image Credit: Eugene Gologursky/Retna LtdLady Gaga’s recently launched tour, the Monster Ball, has taken up residence in New York City’s famed Madison Square Garden for the past two evenings (and finishes with a final show on Friday evening!), making finger-claw wielding “little monsters” out of thousands of the city dwellers lucky enough to go. And that includes me! Rawr!
As you might imagine, this diva knows how to put on quite the ridiculously entertaining show. Zillions of costume changes! A Glinda the Good Witch dress! An encore of “Bad Romance” featuring a spiraling-out crowd! While I was there, I had the distinct feeling that, during those two hours, nothing else in pop culture really mattered because I—luckily!—was seeing the world’s biggest pop star for the first time at one of the world’s most famous arenas. Anyhoo, thought I might share my top five moments from Gaga’s show—everything from a mechanical monster that ate the star of the show to a fire-spewing mini-dress. Here goes:
1. The Monster. While performing “Paparazzi”—the last song of the regular set before her encore of “Bad Romance”—Gags shimmied in front of a stories-tall, homemade-looking monster, complete with flailing tentacles. Bonus: The janky thing, which was set into motion by a legion of people underneath it, eventually ate her! Just gobbled her up! In a word: Stunning. Just too bad it wasn’t during her song, “Monster,” which has correlating lyrics like, “He ate my heart / He ate, ate, ate my heart,” and, you know, is about a monster. Sorta. Regardless, the ridiculous trick worked famously and incited the throngs.
2. Gaga on the Piano. While most of the show was high energy, Gaga slowed it way down when she took to the piano to do her new, unreleased song “You and I,” as well as “Speechless.” And it was truly breathtaking, especially when you consider that she played the keys with her butt for a while, too. (Now, that’s talent!) No, but really, it was one of the only times during the concert where the fans actually sat down—and it wasn’t because they were bored. It more seemed out of respect for her Elton-esque take to the piano.
3. Calling Honey B on the Phone. Just before she rocked out to “Telephone,” Gaga surprised all by placing a call (albeit fake!) to Beyoncé, her Honey B lover from the song’s video. And everyone freaked! Was Beyoncé coming out to sing, too? (She’s often in NYC with Jay-Z, so it wouldn’t have been too big a stretch.) Alas, no, but of course Gaga got the final word in with B, eventually calling her a “shady b—-” before hanging up and going right into the masterful jam by herself.
4. Chatter Between the Songs. Gaga certainly metered out her talking—it all seemed rather orchestrated—but damn if it wasn’t hilarious. One moment she was telling fans that of all the drunk men in her life, she liked her dad the best. A bit later she was giving advice: She’d BS-ed her way through life, and made it to the top! Finally, just before “Boys, Boys, Boys,” Gaga put on a weird little show, as a Dorothy-from-The Wizard of Oz-esque character who couldn’t find the Monster Ball, but the she claimed she knew who’d be able to tell her how to get there: “My New York gay boys!” she shouted. And then she went into “Boys.” The banter: genius.
5. That Fiery Mini-Dress. At one point, Gaga performed while wearing a sparkly mini-dress that featured flames shooting out of three spots: both breasts, and her nether region. No words.
Music Mixers, have you seen Gaga’s concert? Do you have favorite moments?
(Follow the Music Mix on Twitter: @EWMusicMix. Follow Tanner on Twitter: @EWTanStransky.)
More from EW.com’s Music Mix:
Lady Gaga on ‘Today’: Even rain can’t stop this parade
Pete Wentz announces new bad Black Cards. Are you excited?
Ringo Starr’s 70th birthday concert: Guests galore, and Paul McCartney, too!
Katy Perry rules the Billboard Hot 100 chart for the fifth week in a row
Lady Gaga preps ‘Remix’ album for US release
‘American Idol’ tour dates canceled as Summer of Sadness claims another victim
Grammys change Best New Artist rules: So who deserves a nomination this year?
No words just jealousy…I wish I was there (lol).
I recently located the ridiculously overpriced $250 ticket to her LA concert that I purchased forever ago. I’m going to sell it because there are so many other things I want to do this summer (I can go to 5 concerts for that price!) and frankly, I’m pretty much over Gaga. Her shtick got old, and the music isn’t enough. Telephone? Blah. Alejandro? Worse. Glad you had fun though.
What I wouldn’t give to go to the Monster Ball…
I wish I had been there with MY New York gay boys! This katie is, for the record, jealous.
I was there on Tuesday and it was a truly awesome spectacle. I was sore, tired, and hoarse the next day from all the singing and dancing. She didn’t fake call Beyonce on Tuesday though . . . I saw her this winter at Radio City which was a more intimate venue, but she didn’t do songs like Telephone and obviously You and I didn’t exist yet then. I love her and all the little monsters out there!
I was there too and she most certainly did make the faux Honey B call and referred to her as a Shady B*tch. Where were you?
World’s biggest pop star? Only an American journalist would say that. I’d still put my money on the Queen B, or rather M. Madonna. Hell, Beyonce is a bigger popstar than LG.
@Me, @Candice:
Madonna’s tours bomb and tank when aired on television in the United States and in Britain.
See these stories: “Madonna Special [televised concert] a Turkey,” hosted on eonline. From Contact Music: “Madonna Concert Special Fails to Score Ratings”.
Headline from the New York Post, about Madonna’s reinvention tour: “Madonna’s Concert Bombing, MSG tix go begging.”
Hannah Montana, Prince, Bon Jovi, and Jonas Brothers have sold more tickets than Madonna.
From 2008: “Bon Jovi Scores 2008′s Top-Grossing Tour [the Lost Highway tour],” source: Billboard; “Bon Jovi tops Billboard’s 2008 concert tally,” source: Los Angeles Times
In an 2008 article, ibitimes.com, via Stub Hub information, says that the Hannah Montana, Jonas Brothers, and Police tours out-sold Madonna’s tour.
Jonas Brothers sold the most actual tickets in 2008 according to this: “StubHub’s Annual Report on the Concert Economy,” posted by Julia Boorstin.
A 2006 headline: “[Billy] Joel holds the sell-out key,” by Cameron Adams, music writer, hosted on Herald Sun (news.com.au), which states in part: “In the US his [Billy Joel's] current tour has outsold those of U2 and Madonna.”
From Billboard.com, 2006: “The [Rolling] Stones’ tour was recognized as the top tour, based on gross dollars, and top draw, based on ticket sales.” Cinema Blend: “Move Over, Madonna: Rolling Stones Score Top Tour.”
Madonna’s newer music is unpopular in the USA so it doesn’t get played on the radio. The 2003 ‘American Life’ album failed in the USA.
“More woe for Madonna as new single [Miles Away] flops” (source: The Mirror, a British paper), and from Contact Music’s site:
“Madonna’s Record Low with Miles Away,” which says in part,
“MADONNA’s newest single MILES AWAY – about her ex-husband GUY RITCHIE – has become the worst-performing U.K. single of her career.”
Of course, there’s a string of acting failures, too (Who’s That Girl, Shanghai Surprise, Swept Away, Body of Evidence, etc). Madonna couldn’t make it in the movies because she’s a terrible actress.
Who the fcuk cares? You are crazy and need to be medicated. If you think your bizarro OCD registering of Madonna failures is somehow important, interesting, relevant, ….or NORMAL, then, sweetie, it’s time to see a psychiatrist.
FosterPenguin,
Wow…your quoting the NY POST! Jealous much? Any criticism of Stephanie Germotta (you know Lady GAGA is not her real name don’t you???)….Just a character dreamed up by her ex-boyfriend who’s suing her over it! Recently told the biggest lie of the world by saying she didn’t take any moolah from her richie rich parents during her ‘lean’ years in NYC! Learned her majestic piano playing from said richie rich parent paying for it! Bankrolled all those out-there get-ups from a trust fund? Wasn’t famous until she did put on all those bizarro costumes. Did drugs…you know since she was bored and had nothing to do! Wah…wah! Stole the focus from her OWN sister by wearing an outlandish costume to her said sisters graduation…because GAGA had issues with the school! Steals Madonna’s looks and journalists can’t stop from salivating over her inventiveness!!! You quote some questionable sources for your Madonna diatribe. Trust me, Madonna has nothing to worry about and your little snit of jealously made me laugh. Madonna tours were never hurting…she is the #1 female selling tour…she even outgrossed her previous tour, and that was still a best seller. Miles Away is a great song and sure it didn’t do well…Warners didn’t put any money behind it and Madonna wasn’t promoting it on TV Shows. Your actually saluting US Radio???? You must be more stupidier than I thought. US radio doesn’t play any artist over 40. Bon Jovi had the #1 CD for a week but did radio play any single…NOPE! Will US radio play GAGA when she’s over 40? I doubt it. GAGA is too overexposed and her crap is getting tiresome. Now, please take out those medically harmful contact lenses so you can so you can watch another one of GAGA’s 9 minute long epics. Please go back to Antarctica Penguin…your Schtick would have a captive audience! Monsters…indeed!
@ Me
Seeing as Madonna has the highest grossing tour out of all the women she is definitely the world’s biggest pop star. Britney Spears made more than Beyonce on tour and Lady Gaga keeps breaking records,She is on the ladies heels except Madonna she is in a league of her own.
i was at the concert on tues, in the pit. omg, she was absolutely wonderful!! i couldn’t hear for the next two days, but it was well worth it. i love her even more! even tho the music is played out on the radio, it is in absolute NO comparison to a real live show. i guess my fav part was the encore. EVERYONE was dancing for bad romance. it felt like new yrs eve lol
Seeing the show tomorrow.
To he!! with this u hypocrite..u trashed britney’s concert and u have the nerve to rave abt this ..obviously ur must be blind and deaf because i was there for the first night and wasnt impressed… The Queen of pop still is Britney f ucking Spears cheers…haha
Gaga on the piano will ALWAYS be number one to me. It’s where she shines the most, in my opinion.
I get to see her perform at Madison Square Garden! I’m so excited and happy, mostly for her because that’s always been her dream
Gah, I’m jealous. I so want to go to a Gaga concert.
Going to see her at Lolloapalooza in Chicago!!
I’m going to her Ball in Zurich in November & I cannot wait!! Thanks for your great review, even though it’s made the wait even harder now. Love you MM