Image Credit: Jamie McCarthy/WireImage.comNew York’s Madison Square Garden was flooded with kids for pop starlet Rihanna’s Last Girl on Earth tour last night (August 12). And not “kids” as in teens, twenty-somethings, and tweens. I’m talking about children, little girls whose parents wouldn’t even think of allowing their little ones to strut out of their front doors in the kind outfits worn by the Thursday’s headliner.
It was an odd sight, peering over the arena and finding such an eclectic blend of youth: An eight-year-old girl with barrettes in her hair sitting next to a woman 17 years her elder, a flamboyant pair of men in blazers with jagged hairdos and cut-off denim shorts one row in front them. All were waiting intently for not only their sister in loud haircuts but also her stunningly grungy opening act, Ke$ha.
Looking as if she’d just dropped major dollars at a glam-rock garage sale, Ke$ha hit the stage in a tattered black Metallica t-shirt, super-short shorts, and leopard-print gloves. The 23-year-old started off with “Blah Blah Blah,” and couldn’t contain how excited she was to be playing at the historic venue.
“I cannot believe that I’m playing at the f***ing Garden,” she yelled. “Holy s***balls.”
“Party at a Rich Dude’s House” quickly switched to a jam about creepy old men, aptly titled “”Dinosaur.” Hers was a fun 30-minute set: Prancing around U.S. flags draped in Christmas lights along with her dancers, Ke$ha ran through all of the singles from her debut album, Animal. Like a wasted party girl at night’s end, she crawled the length of the stage for “Take It Off.” Her style (or lack thereof) is constantly attacked; what hardly is mentioned, though, is her talent. The Nashville native’s Cyndi Lauper-meets-the-Valley voice was a near-perfect match to her tracked records. She also briefly hopped on the keyboard and drums before closing out with her breakout smash, “Tik Tok.” Her time up, the main event was set to start. READ FULL STORY »
