November 27, 2008

I love Madonna. She makes great records. Her voice, say you will, is fragile, shaky, and beautiful. I think she is underrated as a lyricist and singer both. Her records have all held up to the harshest critic: time.

Her live shows, however, I find bloated, tacky, soulless, and overpriced. After the last tour I vowed to never see her again. Until free tickets fell into my lap.

Divorce looks good on her. While I won't go into a review song for song I will say this: Madge is having fun again. She wore cooky-costumes (not super-serious-sexed-up ensembles). She decorated her set with Keith Harring and images of her past incarnations. She sang with surprising clarity. She vogued. Humped. Giggled. Cursed. She let her guard down. Interacted with the audience. Go figure? Demanded we danced.

And we did.

She was that Madonna I love. Not the one I roll my eyes at. She brought me home. Made me feel young.

And again, she reinvented herself. I hope you caught the tour. It was a glorious, gay, engaging spectacle. She remains the queen and I just one of her adoring court jesters.