Madonna is still very much aware of her powers. And her Rebel Heart Tour is a showcase fit for a queen.
Tuesday’s stop at Toyota Center was masterful and majestic. The diverse crowd — soccer moms and couples, gaggles of girls, gay men and millennials — waited until 10:30 p.m. for her to appear. Few seemed to mind.
“Born to be a superstar/That’s exactly what you are,” she declared during opener Iconic. It set the tone for the spectacle, which ran until almost 1 a.m. She moved freely and fluidly amid an army of dancers and was framed by striking video imagery.
The energy was loose and lively. She promised to marry a fan who caught a prop bouquet. Brought another onstage during Unapologetic Bitch, rewarding her with a banana and a few slaps to the rear. She led the crowd through two verses of Deep in the Heart of Texas and a lovely version of Edith Piaf’s La Vie En Rose.
Madonna truly seemed to be having fun. Few, if any, current pop stars can match her might as a live performer.
She paid tribute to another icon, David Bowie, with a searing rendition of his Rebel Rebel. She called him an inspiration, a champion for transgender people and “the first Rebel Heart I laid eyes on.” Bowie died Sunday of cancer, and she dedicated her own Rebel Heart to his memory.
Despite her frequent resistance to go retro, the setlist was a perfect balance blend of old and new. Recent single Bitch I’m Madonna was a blast of neon energy. New song Holy Water gave way to a bit of Vogue as she writhed on poles with female dancers (half) dressed as nuns. Devil Pray played like a continuation of Like A Prayer. (Catholicism remains a frequent theme.)
She paid tribute to another icon, David Bowie, with a searing rendition of his Rebel Rebel. She called him an inspiration, a champion for transgender people and “the first Rebel Heart I laid eyes on.” Bowie died Sunday of cancer, and she dedicated her own Rebel Heart to his memory.
Despite her frequent resistance to go retro, the setlist was a perfect balance blend of old and new. Recent single Bitch I’m Madonna was a blast of neon energy. New song Holy Water gave way to a bit of Vogue as she writhed on poles with female dancers (half) dressed as nuns. Devil Pray played like a continuation of Like A Prayer. (Catholicism remains a frequent theme.)
Every classic tune, from Material Girl to Holiday, was reworked into something new. Burning Up, one of her first singles, was an early highlight and featured her on guitar. She strummed a ukulele during True Blue and went full-on disco during Deeper And Deeper.
La Isla Bonita got the full flamenco treatment, a perfect complement to the pulsing house groove of recent single Living For Love. And she reconfigured Dress You Up, Into The Groove and Lucky Star as a cumbia and salsa-fueled fiesta.
Nobody (expletive) with the queen,” she declared. That she’s fully aware of her power makes it all the more captivating.
Source: Chron
