MJagger and I have been waiting--impatiently--for months for this blessed event, so we were mighty excited when yesterday finally arrived.
Prior to leaving for the event, I was sitting with my niece at the kitchen table, me giddy with delight. In one sentence, she summed it up for her generation: "Young people don't know Madonna's music." Despite knowing this to be true, I had to do some deep breathing to remain conscious and in the chair.
Now, I know many of you don't give a rat's ass about Madonna, but please indulge me with the opportunity to spew adoration via a humble blog. If it helps, imagine me looking like a giggling teenage girl. It was a great concert and I have to talk to someone. There is only so much Madonna talk the wife can handle and the dog is deaf, so you're it.
I LOVED this concert. Madonna outdid herself. How?
By being happy.
That says a lot. In concerts, she's a machine, perfection in choreography, a spectacle, flaunting incredible physical prowess and duration....but, during the past few tours, she didn't seem happy. She was amazing, her show was indescribable, but she didn't glow with happiness.
This time, she oozed with glee. She genuinely looked happy to be on stage, to be performing, to be live with 20,000 of her closest friends (three fourths of which is comprised of adobrable, uber-pumped, super-sassy gay men). She engaged the crowd more than I've seen in decades, seemingly enjoying the audience connection.
During the past few tours, she gave an slight air that she didn't really give a shit about the audience--we were her minions and she was there to entertain, not embrace. She gave us perfection but not glee or authenticity or humanity. No offense, Madonna. I love your perfection. I was okay with being a minion. The concerts were great, ambitious, awe-inspiring. I go for the show, not to be loved. I get it. But, seriously--we were minions...
Last night, she was OUR minion.
She openly, unabashedly, gladly exclaimed aloud--and showed us--that she PERFORMS and WORKS for US. Madonna sang "True Blue," a song she has never performed in concert (well, not that I remember), dedicating it us, her devoted fans, her "spouse." That says a lot. She dedicated--blessed--us with recognition that we are true blue and she is true blue to us.
It doesn't get any better than that.
An unbelieveable surprise: her singing was much, much, much improved. I don't know how to say it other than to say she sounded great and was lip synching much less--in fact, very little at all. Go figure.
Maybe it's easier to stay on pitch when one is happy.
The Madonna tours of old have been grand shows--happenings--not singing events. You don't go to a Madonna concert to hear her sing. You go for the gesalt. If you wanted to hear her sing, you listened to the studio-perfected CD.....
She proved us wrong last night. She proved us very, very wrong. MJagger and I were downright stunned. Her singing was right on pitch, the whole night through. She sounded like a singer.
The concert was delicious. I mean, how can a show not be incredible when the star surfs a nun who is hanging parallel on a pole? Interestingly to me, she sang a lot of "old" hits. Usually, she sticks to the newest stuff and tosses out a handful of previous hits. She put new spins on the oldies, which made them fresh and relevant. With each song, she proved that she really was working for the crowd, not for herself, not for perfection.
My only regret? That I didn't buy the expensive seats. I've spent obscene amounts of money on Madonna concerts. This time, I thought it'd be okay to be further away from the stage, allowing us an overview of the entire happening. Damn, was I wrong. She spent the majority of the time at the end of/on the cat walk, so near to her admirers that it was ridiculous. We could have counted her eyebrow hairs. I think MJagger wanted to punch me in the face for my decision. I regret it with all my true blue heart.
Her latest album, Rebel Heart, has zero hits on the radio. Zero. She doesn't make the top ten any more, depsite having number one albums every time she releases a new album. Some of that is precipated by the fact you can't play a song that's chorus is, "Bitch, I'm Madonna" or feature the "F word" as part of the lyrics on today's pop hit stations. It's also because her fans aren't top ten today's pop radio station listeners. Her fans are more likely to be dancing in a gay bar than listening to the radio.
If you ask me, that's okay.
In fact, that's more than okay. Young people have yet to realize they should respect their elders. We'll keep Madonna. You keep Miley. (I hope Miley gives props to Madonna, as without Madge, Miley would not be flying around naked on a wrecking ball. Just sayin.')
Madonna remains very relevant. Youngsters may not know her, youngsters most likely make fun of her. But, those young pups need to recognize that Madoona is the reason today's performers can do what they do. She is the reason music has evolved, that concerts have stepped up their producton. Like her or not, she paid her dues, put herself out there to be hated, judged, taunted...she deserves our musical respect. Madonna is the reason that women like me--of a middle age--can act however we want and have a good time. Who has time to get old when there is Madonna to prove us wrong? Dear god, one can only hope to have that much stamina at age 57. It's not all about the boys. She made it possible for the ladies to be front and center.
So thank you, Mother Madge. Thank you for speaking in a "normal" Midwestern voice, not some British-tinged accent. Thank you for being true blue to your fans. Thank you for singing to us, for embracing us, for working for us.
Your little rebel heart is iconic.
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