Today I chose to share Lady Gaga, not because she is the best singer, songwriter, or dancer. While certainly catchy, her music is not a style to which I am typically drawn. I didn't choose her because she's the most controversial or has the weirdest style. I chose her because she has a little bit of everything and is quite simply the best entertainer of the past few months in any genre.
One of the perks of my job is that there are occasions that I am able to attend an otherwise unattendable show for a reasonable (or for no) cost. In this way, last week I was able to see Lady Gaga live in concert. My work friends and I were excited about the spectacle. We wanted to see what all the concert goers were wearing. We were curious about Lady Gaga's set and costumes. We wondered if she sang live. And, yes, those damn songs were catchy.
We planned to stay only for a few songs, just to see. After what seemed like an eternity, the lights went down, and everyone screamed. A countdown clock was projected onto a giant screen on stage. I could barely make out the numbers...00:00:29.99...00:00:26.52...00:00:17.02. As the numbers decreased, the energy and anticipation in the room increased. This was the longest 30 seconds of the night. Finally, the clock struck 00:00:00.00 and a single figure appeared behind the screen, engulfed in back lighting. There she was. The crowd quite literally erupted with joy. Wow. What a start. And that was just the beginning.
Song after song, dance after dance, artsy background video and cool costume after artsy background video and cool costume. And wow, could the girl sing! Lady Gaga preached peace, love, and unity to all her "little monsters" and gave them everything that they wanted from her. She really sang, and everything was a spectacle of lights and sound and movement. The theatre became one giant dance party. It was like a rave was happening in the historic, fabulous theatre. I've never seen people act that way at a concert there before. As my friend so nicely put it, the fans reminded her of going to a Bowie concert, and the on-stage theatrics reminded her of Vegas.
I have never danced so much at a concert in my life. And sober to boot. We didn't leave that show until after the final curtain call. Lady Gaga is fun. So her music makes my list of music to experience when you just want to dance with the girls (or gay boys).
I chose Bad Romance because it shows you exactly what the Lady Gaga phenomenon is at this point: catchy, yet bizarre lyrics; weird, yet stylish costumes; simple, yet fascinating dances; and a futuristic energy that makes you want to dance around while you wait for more and more.
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