On the scene at the iHeartRadio Music Festival, day two:
Lady Gaga takes over the show
Leave it to Lady Gaga to co-opt a music festival featuring tons of other artists and make it her own.
The Queen of Pop appeared on stage as the final performer last night at the iHeartRadio Music Festival at the MGM Grand Garden Arena last night in Las Vegas and stayed on stage for well over an hour—much longer than any of the other acts. “They told me I was only allowed to play for 45 minutes,” she told the crowd. “But I think you’re all pretty drunk so you probably don’t know what time it is, do you?”
And it’s true:
No one was complaining that she was on stage for so long, serving up hit after hit, including “Judas,” “You and I,” “Just Dance,” and “Bad Romance,” which basically blew the roof off the arena.
One of the most heartfelt moments of the evening came when Gaga performed her single “Hair,” which she dedicated to a special fan of hers, 14-year-old Jamey Rodemeyer, who committed suicide last weekend after being bullied. During the dedication, Gaga said: “Jamey I know you’re up there looking at us, you’re not a victim, you’re a lesson to all of us, I know it’s a bit of a downer, but sometimes the right thing’s more important than the music, let’s do this one for Jamey.” His picture stayed on one of the huge jumbotron screens throughout much of the tune.
The tribute was emotional for lots of the crowd—I spotted several concert-goers crying. And, of course, Gaga didn’t let her performance of “Hair” go by without inserting some ad-libs: “
Bullying is for losers!” she cried during the song, which ended with a rain of blue and silver balloons from the ceiling. As gimmicky as something like this could come off as being, Gaga pulled it off very gracefully.
Another of the buzziest moments of the night, too, came via Gaga, when she pulled Sting on stage to perform with her. During her first encore, Gaga sang “Alejandro,” “Telephone,” and “Papparazzi,” which eventually spiraled into her heaving bosom covered in blood. Gaga had died of fame! So she asked for “the police”—headed by Sting—to bring her back to life. “Sting is one of the most kind and beautiful people I’ve met,” Gaga said, as he came out.
The pair sang “Stand By Me” and “King of Pain” before Gaga ended the set and said she was going to follow Sting “off stage because he’s cute.” But, naturally, she returned: Her second encore found the crowd melting down over “Edge of Glory.” Then she left again. And returned yet again for a third encore of “Born This Way,” which she started acapella before moving into the version we all know and love. Oh, and her hair was short by this point, too.
http://music-mix.ew.com/2011/09/25/i...ennifer-lopez/
What did you think of the show?
