music makes new yorkers come together.

madonna
@ madison square garden
6.28.06

when you’re an icon like madonna, you’ve pretty much done it all, and yet you’re still expected to wow both your fans and enemies just to keep them coming back for more. and when you’re anyone else but madonna, after all these years you’re probably still intrigued by your love/hate relationship with her, and you think you’ve seen it all, until she begins her concert by stepping out of a gigantic disco ball in a jockey outfit to dominate her entourage of man-horses into submission.

yeah, so she’s still got it. the hot body, the bad attitude, the wicked fashion sense, and most importantly, she still has that keen chameleon-like ability to keep re-inventing herself. much like her rise to fame, madonna’s show was overwhelmingly extravagant. i say overwhelming because within two short hours, it displayed every side of her we’ve ever seen from hopeless romantic to coy sex kitten. i say extravagant because of the fabulously colorful lights, entrancing dance routines, and jaw dropping props including a flying leather studded carousel (from which, “like a virgin” was performed) and a christ-sized cross (for “live to tell”).

of course the show had moments that weren’t quite so flashy. frequent wardrobe breaks left ample time for dancers to climb down from their monkey bars to deliver intimate soliloquies paired with intense interpretive dance sequences based on some of their personal life tragedies (such as abuse, suicide, and gang violence). at other times, enormous video screens flashed disturbing photos of orphans whose parents were lost to aids, as well as repetitive images of notoriously wordy politicians who were implored not to talk, or speak.

anyone who was there will undoubtedly rave about the over the top “hung up” finale in all it’s gold mylar balloon, roller disco glory. they will tell you about old favorites like “erotic,” “la isla bonita” and “lucky star” all performed saturday night fever style. but for me, the best moment was the controversial yet stunning “isaac.”

have you confessed?: http://www.madonna.com/

**buy it at insound!**

photo by: kenyon hopkin.