Monday, November 19, 2012

A Dark Journey with Madonna

Since my last post, I've attended three fantastic concerts. Each was very different from the others -- a different type of music, a different type of show, a different type of audience. Yet each and every one of them was very good.

On October 2 and 3, 2012, legendary pop diva Madonna brought her own brand of magic to the Key Arena. Since the Key Arena is located in Seattle and Madonna is gay-friendly, I was not surprised that most of her audience was gay. But gay people are fun to party with.

The Material Girl does not put on an ordinary rock concert -- she puts on a spectacle. In addition to her party music, Madonna's MDNA concert featured hip hop dancers and acrobats on tight ropes, fabulous costumes, sensational video effects and a video clip of Nicki Minaj.

Her October 3 performance started two hours late. We assumed that the concert started late because Madonna wanted to watch the presidential debate. She is, after all, a devout supporter of President Obama and the Democratic Party. While we were waiting for her show to begin, DJ Martin Solveig and Madonna's youngest son, David, warmed up the audience with techno remixing.

The concert opened with "Like a Prayer" and featured male hip hop and acro dancers dressed as monks and gargoyles ringing a lighted bell. The scene brought the Hunchback of Notre Dame to mind. Then the Material Girl made her grand entrance. This number was campy and fun.

Another notable number, "Gang Bang," was set in a seedy hotel room. Madonna sang, "Bang bang! I shot you dead Bang bang! Shot my lover in the head" while she took aim at a male dancer. The song's lyrics were catchy, but this part of the show was rather dark. She and her troupe of dancers waved guns as they danced around the stage. Blood splatter was one of the video effects. This number culminates with her being sent to hell. It's easy to understand why some people were offended by the violence and guns in the show so soon after the Colorado massacre.

My favorite part of her MDNA show was her performance of "Express Yourself." Madonna dressed up in a red and white drum majorette's costume with a baton. The dancers also dressed up as members of a high school marching band. Her show needed something like and uplifting after her performance of "Gang Bang."

Toward the end of her show, Madonna showed her audience that she had "Obama" written or tattooed in black ink on her back. I know that she is outspoken and politically active. I voted for Obama myself. When I go to a concert, I go to listen to music. I don't want to read an entertainer's political views.

I've always like Madonna. She and I are the same age. We also have children who are the same age. My seat was so close to the stage that I got a good look at the pop star. Madonna is still as beautiful (and as thin) as she was in the late 80's. Her figure is so beautiful that my first impression was "That woman looks like she doesn't eat."

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