Now that the hustle and bustle and baking and cooking of the holidays have subsided, I want to take some time to tell you about the last two concerts I saw in 2017. This week, I’m sharing my thoughts on Lady Gaga’s Joanne World Tour.
I purchased tickets forever ago, as with most shows, and was actually afraid the show might not go on after Gaga canceled overseas shows due to fibromyalgia. Luckily Gaga was feeling better and was able to finish her North American tour including her stop here in Detroit.
Dad and I headed to the show, and as usual our experience at Little Caesars Arena was nothing but delightful. This was the most crowded and energetic we had seen it, but it was still a great experience and we did a few laps before taking out lower bowl seats since the entire floor was general admission.
The seats were good but they were on the side of the stage and Gaga almost never played to either side of the arena, so it was a bit of a disappointment not to see a little more of her. I actually found this to be unusual. I’ve seen a lot of shows over the past few years, and almost all of the performers do their best to play to all areas of the arena.
The countdown clock added a lot of excitement to the arena as we all waited for Gaga to take the stage. She appeared in her signature pink cowboy hat and opened with Diamond Heart which is one of my favorite songs off Joanne and it doesn’t get enough attention.
The staging itself was impressive and fantastic to watch. On the main stage, pieces moved around and up and down, creating amazing visuals, and when fire was added into the show, it was even better. Walkways came down from the ceiling when Gaga wanted to use one of the other three stages situated in the general admission floor. The coolest use of this was when Gaga was raised to the ceiling on one of the walkways and changed for the next set there.
The show was broken down into seven acts and an encore with video interludes in between. Because of all the stopping and going, it was difficult to keep the energy up. I watched as the entire arena, all 15,000+ people sat down and sometimes stayed down when she returned to the stage. It’s hard to cease momentum like that and expect it to return as strong if not stronger. If Gaga had made the interludes more interesting and cut a couple out, it would have made the show that much better.
The best part of the show was that Gaga played the vast majority of her hits. Yes, the show is slightly heavy on Joanne songs, not that that is a bad thing, it’s not, but all the songs that have made me and millions of others fall and stay in love with Gaga were there. Poker Face, Just Dance, and Bad Romance were some of my favorites.
However, the absolute best part of the show was the fourth act with The Edge of Glory and Born this Way. It was Gaga at her best, singing songs that inspire and showcase her incredible talents. Gaga was also the most open and honest during these songs, which was beautiful. I wanted more of this Gaga during the rest of the show, where she talked and sang without all the superfluous additions. Gaga is so talented so doesn’t need all the pomp and circumstance.
Her delicate performance of Joanne also really struck a chord with me. I love the meaning behind that song which is explained in detail in the Netflix documentary Gaga Five Foot Two (a good watch if you have the chance), and seeing her perform it live brought a tear to my eye. The same goes for Million Reasons, the encore performance. That (along with You and I, which she sadly did not sing), is my favorite Gaga song of all time, and there was no better way to end the show.
I would jump at any and all chances to see Gaga in the future because I love her. I love her music. I love the positive and inclusive message she preaches, practices, and inspires. This was demonstrated when she read a letter a fan threw on stage, got off stage, and hugged him. Gaga is a great entertainer and I would bet an even better person. Those are the kinds of people who will always have me cheering in the stands.
Ok, I think it’s so cool your dad comes out to this kind of thing! What did he think of the show?
I love that he comes with me too. While he is always up for a show, despite having worked all day and having to get up and go to work the next day, this one wasn’t his favorite. He and I saw four concerts in 2017 and OneRepublic and Imagine Dragons were our favorites.
I too love Gaga and her messages. I’m so glad you went and that your dad went with you! You both look so fantastic…..