Monster Ball

Tuesday, we hit a record setting temperature of 103 degrees in Central Park.  Wednesday, NYC topped out at 100, breaking the 1993 record of 98 degrees.  So when Lady Gaga took the stage the following evening at Madison Square Garden, things were already sizzling.

It was HOT.  Gaga was HOT.  Lucky for her she doesn't mind prancing around in her skivvies, in fact, she seems quite comfortable doing deep squats and straddling her piano bench half naked in front of a stadium full of people.  Well, if she were shy she certainly wouldn't have been able to claw (paws up!) her way to the top and fill MSG!

images on giant video screen

opening number

Gaga gets a lift

I went to the show/Gaga's Monster Ball with my two blogalicious buddies, WendyB (wendybrandes) and Tina, a.k.a. TRex of The Occasional Cook.  While I dressed like a civilian, Wendy looked like some sort of robot/goddess/disco queen and Tina disguised herself in a blond bobbed wig (which isn't too much of a stretch since she is blond!).

blond bombshell, Tina & space siren, Wendy

Of course, Gaga had some unique outfits and I think she had more changes than Carrie in SATC2.  She started the show with her famous giant square shoulder jacket, then switched to bodysuit, then some kind of spiky leather get-up, then to a studded bra and panties, to some sort of ice princess, to an Indian tribal type of thing, to another bodysuit...I think.  I lost track of it all!  I know I'm missing the sheer plastic tulip skirt and top with the X tape over the breasts.  And speaking of breasts, she had sparklers shooting out of them at the end of the show!  Oh, and there was definitely a devil cape in the mix and a crazy looking nun's habit.  I wish she wouldn't make a habit of it.

clad in leather

  

ice princess

Gaga sparkles

Gaga was born to entertain an audience.  Some people just have that "IT" factor and she is one of those people.  And of those people, she is in an elite class -- very much like Madonna.  In fact, I couldn't help comparing her to Madonna throughout the show.  Initially, I likened her to Dale Bozzio of the new wave 80's band, Missing Persons (love!), but I think she has gone well beyond that. 

I have made a list of Gaga and Madonna similarities...
1. Dyed blonde hair:  I think in most cases Gaga wears wigs, but they are blond... or yellow!
2. They both like to be in their underwear.
3. Gaga rolled around the stage a bit, a la Madonna in Like A Virgin.
4. Alejandro = Like A Prayer
5. Gaga seems to have employed all of Madonna's dancers.
6. They both push the envelope.
7. Madonna adopted a faint British accent for a while and I noticed Gaga manipulating certain words to sound a bit more British... or a bit like Madonna.
8. They both dance their tushes off, but I would give it to Madonna (hands down... I mean, paws down) in dance off between the two.

Madonna, 1987 & Gaga on Wednesday night

Madonna shows some muscle...

...and so does Gaga

I have to give the Lady credit.  She worked her booty off and the girl has some serious pipes.  And she can really play the piano.  No, I stand corrected; she can really kick ASS on the piano.  Actually, it turns out; she can play that thing WITH her ass -- and with her stiletto boot.  That is one thing I don't think Madonna could do.  Check it out...

sorry about my horrible video camera skills!

Overall, I thought Gaga was pretty damn amazing.  Even though the bizarre creature at the end of the show (the monster of the ball?) was kind of 7th grade school play to me, I pardoned it and focused on the music and the energy of the crowd.  And what a crowd!  The Garden was packed with screaming fans of all ages, races, and walks of life.  Oh yeah, and the Gaga wannabes...:-)

a giant sea monster gives Gaga a scare

 

Gaga and her boys take a bow