Over the last days of 2010 Up On The Sun will be counting down the best live shows of 2010. Today we look at the #3 show of the year, Lady Gaga at US Airways Center.
Show: Lady Gaga at US Airways Center
Date: Saturday, July 31, 2010
Background: Remember the planned Fame Monster tour featuring Kanye West and Lady Gaga on the same stage? It would have been amazing had it not been canceled because of lackluster ticket sales in the backlash of Taylorgate. It was also supposed to open in Phoenix. Well, after Fame Monster was canceled, it took Gaga a long ass time to finally bring her Monster Ball tour through town. It was worth the wait. The show sold out months in advance and the hype was rewarded as Gaga brushed off calls to boycott over SB 1070 and instead made a memorable, inspiring night for Arizona music fans.
Why it stood out: The tour has been around the world already so it was pretty polished. Yes, there was plenty of playback, but no one goes to a show like this to hear an opera singer. Gaga delivered a true spectacle but it was an unrehearsed, dancing-free moment that sticks out -- when the queen of contemporary pop explained why she came to play instead of boycotting and urged her appreciative fans to protest the immigration law however they could
Someone else said: "The Monster Ball show, which had most of the crowd on its feet 90 percent of the time, also included a wild assortment of costumes and a dose of theater. True to her highly creative take on pop music, which is influenced by the likes of Madonna, ABBA, Elton John and Queen, Gaga packed her hits into segments featuring Broadway-inspired scenery - the tale of a woman trying to get to the Monster Ball in New York City. Gaga, 24, rivaled her predecessor Cher with several costume changes. Her looks included skimpy dance outfits showing off her legs, a flowing red robe, a nun's headpiece paired with a translucent skirt, a white gown with wings and her famed outfit spraying sparks from her breast and crotch areas. Several types of edgy headgear at times covered the star's yellow-blond hair." -Larry Rodgers of the Arizona Republic
Read the full review here.