Atlantic City Weekly

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Love her or hate her — for there’s rarely an opinion in between — Lady Gaga is certainly the deliverer of spectacle among today’s pop stars.

She’s also a powerful magnet.

In a manner no less ostentatious than the “Mother Monster” herself, thousands of adoring fans, or as Gaga calls them, “Little Monsters,” thronged Boardwalk Hall on Saturday night, Feb. 19, many coming from as far as Philadelphia and New York City. 

Hours before the show, fans lined the Atlantic City Boardwalk donning bow-tie wigs, tutus, capes, nine-inch pumps and hair-curlers made from soda cans, creating an atmosphere of pomp and eccentricity, which is standard of any Gaga appearance.

(Above: A group of dressed-up Gaga fans at Boardwak Hall. Photo by Tom Briglia. See many more of Lady Gaga's fans' outstanding costumes by clicking on photo gallery above.)

After previewing her newest single “Born This Way” at the 53rd annual Grammy Awards only six days before, Lady Gaga’s performance on Saturday night marked the first installment of the 2011 North American Monster Ball Tour.

Fans were treated with a live performance of the new single as well as an announcement of Gaga’s upcoming tour, “Born This Way Ball.”

While fans said they were excited to see Gaga perform her newest song live, many claimed they were primarily interested in seeing the peculiar queen of pop produce the outlandish display for which she is best known.

“She never disappoints,” said audience member Anna Bosshard, of Philadelphia. “She’s very original.”
Another audience member, Kirsten LaPlante, of New York, said seeing  Lady Gaga live was one of the two things to do on her bucket list. The other, she said, is seeing Madonna.

As Gaga’s opening act — Scissor Sisters — took the stage, fans were still piling in from the Boardwalk.

While the band was well received, the fans were clearly in a state of reserved anticipation. After a short intermission, the large scrim lining the stage began to pulsate as a colossal video representation of Lady Gaga appeared in a futuristic ensemble. 

The first song, “Dancing in the Dark” from her second studio album, The Fame Monster, was performed entirely behind the scrim.  As it was lifted, an elaborate set, representing the outside of a bar in Queens was revealed, complete with neon signs and a stalled automobile at the curbside.

After the first few opening tracks, Lady Gaga addressed the audience: “My name is Lady Gaga, but you may call me Mother Monster,” she said. 

Described as “pop-electro opera,” Lady Gaga’s Monster Ball show carried an epic narrative throughout the performance, similar to a classical Greek odyssey. 

In the story, the main character, Gaga, loses her way en route to the famed "Monster Ball," a utopian dance-party where there are no limits to self-expression.

(Above: Photo by Tom Briglia)

“The monster ball will set you free,” she said enthusiastically addressing the crowd. 

For many fans, Gaga’s interactive stage antics are one of the greatest aspects of the show.

Greg Cerrato, a “little monster” from New York said he appreciated the way Gaga “engages” audience members, unlike other superstars such as Britney Spears.

Lady Gaga also doesn’t “patronize” her fans the way Taylor Swift does during shows, he added.

“I think she’s genuine,” LaPlante said. “She dedicates herself to performing.”

After singing several familiar tracks from previous albums, as well undergoing a dizzying amount of costume and scene changes, Lady Gaga confronts the Fame Monster, represented by a giant piranha head flanked by several black tentacles.

Adding to her sensational display, Gaga’s band featured some unconventional instrumentalists, including an electric violinist, who roamed the stage throughout the performance.

Another commanding presence within the band was Lady Gaga’s harpist who at one point served as a deus ex machina, an angelic force assisting Gaga in her quest to find the Monster Ball.

But beyond the flamboyance of the costumes and set changes, the overall message of the evening was the expression of one’s individuality in the face of society’s status quo.

And while Lady Gaga’s escapades on stage may seem absurd at times, they play a large role in this message.

Throughout the show, she frequently urged the crowd to let go of their “insecurities,” and even disclosed her own struggles with identity as a teenager.

In high school, she told the audience, I was “bullied” a lot. 

“I still feel like I get bullied,” she said.  “You have made me brave.”

Gaga closed the performance with her new single “Born this Way,” which she promoted as an anthem of self-acceptance.

“You can be whatever you want to be,” she told the audience. “You were born this way.”

Since it’s release on Feb. 11, critics have levied the claim that “Born This Way” smacks of Madonna’s 1989 hit “Express Yourself.”

Yet, at Saturday’s concert it was evident that the single resonates strongly with fans, despite its similarity to Madonna’s song.

When Gaga announced she would play the new song only if audience members cheered loud enough, the response leading up to the track was literally thunderous; not only with applause, but also from rumbling in the stands as fans began to stamp their feet.

According to the New York Times’ ArtsBeat, Gaga’s new single has reached a “sales milestone.” With over one million downloads since its release, the track is the “fastest-selling song in iTunes’ history.”

While Lady Gaga announced she would be returning to Atlantic City next year with her upcoming tour, many fans claimed they wouldn’t wait that long to see her again in concert.

See a photo gallery of the Lady Gaga concert here.

Did you go to the Lady Gaga show? What do you think of Lady Gaga?