From the moment I entered the lobby of the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas this past Thursday night, I knew this wouldn’t be any ordinary concert experience. Here were thousands of people of every gender decked out in blonde wigs and high heels with lightening bolts scrawled across their faces and the same person on their t-shirts: Lady Gaga.
Strangers were taking pictures with each other, admiring each other’s increasingly outrageous outfits. The show hadn’t even begun and already it was a celebration. While many concerts across the nation had to be cancelled due to lack of ticket sales (sorry Ke$ha...), Lady Gaga’s Monster Ball is running stronger than ever. Paws up, Little Monsters!
The sold-out stadium was alive with energy even during the opening band, Semi Precious Weapons, who packed quite an impressive punch for being so generally unknown. Lead singer Justin Tranter was fiercely playful, engaging the audience throughout the set and introducing Lady Gaga with passionate admiration that caught on like wildfire.
When the moment finally came and Lady Gaga’s silhouette appeared to echoes of “I’m a free bitch,” it was obvious everyone’s vocal chords would be shot by the end of the show from screaming. Even the slightest movement of Gaga’s hips during the opener “Dance in the Dark” elicited shrieks from the devoted crowd. The ever-changing stage was revealed to be an entire almost Rent-like set complete with many levels, light-up signs, a glowing jungle gym and much, much more. The show itself follows a loose plot about a group of teens trying to get to the Monster Ball after their car breaks down. Gaga enters to help them find the way, and takes them on a quest involving a car that turns into a keyboard, a subway train, and a “Glitter Brick Road” that will lead them to the Monster Ball. In the end, Gaga must face the Fame Monster, an actual Piranha-like puppet beast that wants to destroy her. Gaga doesn’t just deliver a concert, she delivers a massively theatrical spectacle filled with much more than just club music. Note: for those like me who wondered how on earth “Telephone” could be done without Beyonce, it turns out the audience is Beyonce -- a life experience I’m glad to now have.
Lady Gaga wasted no time spreading her message of love, peace, and equality. When asked by one of her dancers what the purpose of the Monster Ball was, she answered, “To set you free!” She told the audience that here, they can be whomever and whatever they want to be -- that this is a safe, loving place. Sexuality specifically is Gaga’s biggest focus. At one point during the show, she even yelled out, “Celebrate your gay pride!” and all at once, Texans celebrated loudly and proudly.
It’s amazing to see such pride in a state much more known for its prejudice when it comes to sexuality. It’s not often here that same-sex couples can walk around holding hands without being a bit on edge, but at Monster Ball, hate is an outsider and love is all that matters. Gaga also explained that for every show Virgin Mobile donates money to RE*Generation, a charity that focuses on helping to homeless teenagers who have been kicked out of their homes oftentimes because of their sexuality. Gaga has also given free concert tickets to volunteers for this organization, and will even match donations given by the public. Lady Gaga is not just a musician or a performer, she is a hero fighting for a cause she believes in - a cause that needs all the support it can get.
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As for her performance, what else would anyone expect from the superstar other than pure devotion physically, vocally, and emotionally? It’s all there, all the time, and Gaga never stops for a second -- save for costume changes, which themselves are accompanied by mesmerizing videos and monologues.
Even slower ballads like “Speechless” are played on a vibrantly flaming piano that endures a oddly melodic solo by Gaga’s own high-heel clad foot. She lives the music (often playing it as well) and sings with a power and passion that puts the many auto-tuned pop stars of today to a new level of shame. That Gaga can dance as professionally as she does while singing is a feat in itself. In addition to her performing talents, Lady Gaga is also an extremely humble soul. Hardly a free moment passed without her showering the audience in undying love. In fact, Gaga took perhaps 1/3 of the show to give inspirational monologues of her rise to fame or tell stories from her everyday life. Yes, she performs almost daily, but it was as though she was telling these stories for the first time. Even with all the anecdotes she still managed to play every hit song as well as a few from her upcoming album, making for a very solid 2 and a half-ish hours of nonstop entertainment.
Gaga has built an empire for herself, complete with its own signature trademarks that her performances would not be the same without. The fire spouting bra and literal metallic Monster Ball all made appearances, as did the famous Gaga Claw. It’s astounding to look at out a crowd of thousands and see nearly every one of them have their hands in the air when Gaga tells them to “put their paws up.” When Gaga tells you to do something, you do it, even if it means showing her your teeth maybe 800 times.
The music is amazing and the spectacle is breath taking, but it’s the message that makes Lady Gaga stand out. I left the Monster Ball filled with hope that this nation could change for the better and realize that love and equality are not something to fear, but to embrace and encourage. While I would love to keep my eyeliner lightening bolt on a little bit longer and stick around the stadium for another round of Gaga love, it’s time to return to the real world. But the good news is, the real world can change, and Lady Gaga is helping it do so one little monster at a time.
Images from previous shows.
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