The Monster Ball

I've been to the Monster Ball. No, not an early Halloween party, I'm talking about Lady Gaga's recent visit to St. Paul. Though you may have thought it was an early Halloween party with everyone dressed up in their favorite Gaga attire. I was definitely in the minority with my boring street clothes on.

I was fortunate enough to get tickets to her 2nd show. I am so glad I went. It's the best concert I've ever seen. But, I don't think it's really something I can compare to other live concert venues I've been too. This was something totally out of that rhelm.

If you're not familiar with Lady Gaga, I'm wondering what rock you live under. But seriously, she is know for her outrageous fashion and most recently her visit to the Yankee's game (middle-finger and then moved to Jerry Sinfeld's suite). Ah, now you know who I'm talking about.

One of my best friends (Becky) went with me to the concert. She wasn't too familiar with her music unless it was on the radio. I think she said it best after she posted on facebook, "is still processing Monster's Ball. Awesome. Amazing. Art."

She sang (no lip-syncing) every song. She played her piano which was burning some huge flames probably 10 feet tall at times! There were at least 5 complete changes to the stage. She made her music work as almost a music theater piece like The Wizard of Oz. She and her dancers try to get to The Monster Ball and come across some obsticles on their way....one being a twister!

I thought it was awesome that she used a lot of the costumes that she's worn for her videos in her concert. They pretty much have to be one-of-a-kind, really.

We could have done without the opening act, Semi Precious Weapons. Becky and I renamed them Weapons of Mass Destruction. They weren't that great. But they had been friends with Gaga since 2006. She's just giving her friends some exposure. Can't blame her, she could probably get just about anyone to open for her.

Gaga shares a message of equality and understanding. Yes, she draws a majority of homosexuals, but she's bi-sexual. Virgin Mobile donates $20,000 to a charity of her choice for each concert she puts on. She donates it to a charity for young homeless gays/lesbians. These are kids who have been kicked out of their parent's homes because of their sexuality. Oh and I forgot to mention that she matches that donation as well! Another nice touch was her telling us "thanks for buying a ticket to my show." You don't hear that much!!

So, I'll leave you with a few words of advice from the Mother Monster, herself.
"Be Brave," and "Leave here loving yourself more."