Julia Harding, Broadside Correspondent
Lady Gaga may have been an hour and a half late to her show, but fans didn’t care once she appeared on stage.
She shimmered in her mirrored dress and latest hairdo when she started the last concert of her Fame tour last Tuesday night. Starting out with “Paparazzi,” everyone could sense the night was going to end in an explosion.
Upon arrival at the D.A.R. (Daughters of the American Revolution) Constitution Hall, fans were dressed to impress— many ladies (and gentlemen) arrived as mock Lady Gagas. Others just found the craziest leopard print dresses or metallic thigh high boots. The fans were prepared to enjoy their night.
Her style never failed to lure and entice the crowd. From military jacket thong attire to her infamous bubble outfit, Lady was nothing less than marvelous. And if the outfits weren’t enough, the setlist was. Some of the better performances included “Boys, Boys, Boys,” “Lovegame,” “Money Honey” and of course, “Just Dance.”
Between performances were two-minute video clips. Though ingenious, the short films left much to be desired.
A little too robotic and manipulated for the crowd’s taste, the fans had to shake off the creepy persona of the films with intense dancing for the next song.
Every song she performed had its own form of grace. She added class to the peculiar and style to the odd. But of all the talents on display, the most appealing was Lady Gaga’s ability to hold a meaningful conversation with her fans. As a tradition, most artists will speak to their audience for welcoming statements or to claim they love the area, but Gaga had some other words to throw in as well.
She connected with the crowd as if she was having a personal conversation with them. She mentioned how she hated having to explain herself to talk show hosts, and how she wanted everyone to be who they were, because it didn’t matter where someone was from, or how much money they made—it was time to be free and have fun.
She told her fans that now, when she is asked what kind of work she does she explains “I’m in the art of liberation. I just want to make my fans feel free.”
The heart-wrenching element of the night was when she asked her fans to do a very important favor for her. She asked that everyone would hold her dad close to their hearts, and pray if they wanted to, because he was having heart surgery.
Gaga announced that as an adolescent she wasn’t exactly the best daughter to her parents and she felt that her actions were catching up with her. Giving up a little bit of her own heart, she told the crowd to value their families, even if they seemed unbearable, because otherwise they’d feel like she did at that precise moment.
After 10 songs it was time to close down the show and play the song everyone was craving to hear, “Poker Face.”
The song started out acoustically and progressed to the more upbeat version. Finally, she was carried off stage like the pop goddess she is, and everyone took home a little piece of her soul with them.
Kudos, Gaga.
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