Lady Gaga Monster Ball Tour – Concert Review

This past Thursday I had what I will call the good fortune to see a show on this summer’s hottest tour–Lady Gaga’s Monster Ball Tour.  What an experience!  I’m not usually the type to go to big arena shows, but when the opportunity presented itself I knew I had to grab it.  Whether you like her music or not, you have to admit Gaga is one of the most unique performers to emerge in the last decade.

The opening band, Semi-Precious Weapons, left a lot to be desired.  Basically they are Scissor Sisters without the falsetto.  They did a good job of revving up the crowd, at least.  

Gaga’s stage show is huge and as over-the-top as one might expect.  The concert tells the story of Gaga and her friends attempting to get to the Monster Ball.  First their car breaks down, then the subway drops them in a mysterious location where a twister then picks them up and drops them in a dark forest, where finally Gaga meets and destroys a giant monster.  All of this accompanied by elaborate sets, props, and costumes.  Each little segment is punctuated by two to three songs.  The performances were heavily coreographed with at least ten dancers accompanying Gaga.  She mostly sang along with a recording, which was disappointing, but when she did sing it was obvious, and that girl has got a hell of a voice.

As far as the set list is concerned, all of her radio singles were on there with the exception of her latest “Eh Eh (Nothing Else I Can Say),” but it took awhile to get to them.  She really aimed her performance at the true fans who know all the songs instead of the other way around, which I find admirable.  About halfway through the show the dancers and band left Gaga alone with her piano, and she gave an incredible performance of “Speechless” as well as the youtube hit “You and I.”  This turned out to be a buzzkill for a couple of the people with me, but I thought both songs really showcased her talent.  The encore was a rousing rendition of “Bad Romance” which had even the most annoyed parents on their feet.

My only complaint is that Gaga got a little preachy between songs.  There was a lot of “live your life and love yourself” type talk, and after a while it got redundant and boring.  While she did tell some amusing anecdotes, I really could have lived without the rest.  I’m sure, however, that the talk was all for the benefit of the 15-and-under fans, which comprised at least 75% of the audience.  

When it was all said and done, I left the arena feeling like one of those 15-year-olds, having just seen an amazing performance from a unique and talented performer.  My expensive nosebleed seat turned out to be money well spent.

About Jill Carroll

Jill is a graduate of Stephen F. Austin State University with a bachelor's degree in Public Administration and no interest in the field. While maintaining a healthy respect for the sci-fi/fantasy genre, she prefers to read whatever Oprah or NPR tells her to. She enjoys Ketel One vodka and lazy Sundays with her two dogs.