Concert review/photos: Lady Gaga @ Wells Fargo Center
Please note: This article is published as an archive copy from Philadelphia City Paper. My City Paper is not affiliated with Philadelphia City Paper. Philadelphia City Paper was an alternative weekly newspaper in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The last edition was published on October 8, 2015.
For all its talk of sex, it wasn't sexy. For all its chatter about redemption, Gaga never redeemed herself.
Little Monsters, this is going to be tough to hear, so cover your ears: It’s difficult making flashy, splashy production numbers boring, but Lady Gaga did just that on Thursday night at the Wells Fargo Center.
I love a parade, but not at the expense of the music or the mood.
Having witnessed Gaga gigs since the intimacy and brilliance of her first Electric Factory show, this hasn’t been the case in the past. The glam and glitter of her towering stage presentation was always matched, if not amplified, by the spectacle of her song craft and the wild magic of her vocals. This time though — this ArtRAVE: The ARTPOP Ball that was short on art, pop, raving and balling — felt hollow and sounded shrill. For all its talk of sex, it wasn’t sexy. For all its chatter about redemption, Gaga never redeemed herself.
Don’t get me wrong here. Her voice was and is an instrument of God — strong, clear and cutting on hot house hits such as “Poker Face,” a slinky, slow take on “Do What U Want,” and a handsome version of “Born This Way,” with Gaga playing piano. Actually, she sounded fantastic during even the most rote electro lumps like “Paparazzi.”
Her reach toward her adoring audience, literally and figuratively, was a feat to behold, especially when she read letters thrown on stage by her fans, and invited those same Monsters backstage. Her set was sleek, her costume changes were hilarious (the Creamiscle-and-gold colored wings, the teased-high Ann-Margrock wig, the white career-girl dress, the blobby octopus outfit, the electric Wizard-of-Oz Judy pigtails). Plus, she’s a decent dancer.
But, more often then not, Gaga was lost (as in, she was hidden from the crowd – and I had amazing seats) within a sea of too many dancers doing too many things all at once. Between the sprouting penile flowers, the stalagmite piano booth, and the gaggle of dancers, it was hard to spot Gaga even with her tallest wigs on display. Then there was Gaga’s supposed motivational fireside chatting, speeches so dull that it’s hard to imagine that she didn’t doze off spouting them (and this tour just started). With that, it was her show’s reliance on tracks from ARTPOP, her latest album, that made the show hypnotic, and not necessarily in a good way. Though fine and sparkly as a recording, on stage, ARTPOP’s technotronic whoosh of songs refused to contain a catchy chorus and just lulled you into sleep mode. She looked great in a bikini doing a new tune such as “Venus” while her dancers fawned before her, but cute outfits and devotional choreography doesn’t make for dynamic art or pop.
