Lady Gaga’s crazy outfits and eccentric behavior make for one exciting show in Miami to kick off the new year.
As I approached the James L. Knight Center on January 2 for Lady Gaga’s Monster Ball concert, I was overwhelmed by the diversity of her fans. Middle aged men in sequins mingled with teenagers in lamé; mothers and daughters rubbed elbows with twenty year old college students while waiting to enter the theater. Upon entering the venue, the eclectic groups of fans, “Little Monsters” as Gaga refers to them, found their seats and watched two opening acts.
The first opening act was glam rock group Semi Precious Weapons. Lead singer Justin Tranter reminded the audience often that he was wearing four inch heels. After enthusiastically performing, Tranter led the audience into excitedly chanting “LADY GAGA!”
Following the Semi Precious Weapons’ animated performance, Jason Derulo took the stage. He sampled other artists ranging from Daft Punk to Imogen Heap in nearly all of his songs. Combined with his mediocre vocals, the sampled music left many Gaga fans eager for Derulo to leave the stage.
After nearly an hour and a half of anticipation, Lady Gaga finally arrived on stage. In typical Gaga fashion, she was wore a light-up outfit with exaggerated shoulders as she sang “Dance in the Dark.” With the audience dancing and screaming, the artist continued her concert with her number one hit, “Just Dance.”
Lady Gaga, who is known for her unique and oftentimes strange personality, made puns about several of her songs and demanded ample cheers from the audience. After singing “Monster,” the pop diva looked disgruntled when she didn’t receive enough applause, laid down on the stage and likened herself to Tinkerbell. “You know how Tinkerbell dies if you don’t clap for her? Do you want me to die? Scream for me!” she demanded.
With the audience screaming, Gaga continued singing several more of her pop tracks. A pianist since she was four, the singer slowed down her show as she sang “Poker Face” and the ballad “Speechless” while accompanying herself on the piano. Her prowess on the piano along with her outstanding live vocals showcased Gaga as one of today’s most talented popstars.
After her acoustic performance, Lady Gaga sang more of her pop songs, such as “Paparazzi.” Standing on an elevated bar with her hair pinned to loops above her head, she belted out the song powerfully and then “died” on stage. As the concert ended with the current hit “Bad Romance,” audience members screamed, sang, danced and professed their love to her.
An undeniably devoted fanbase, Gaga’s Little Monsters were not phased by the massive amount of pedestrian traffic leaving the theater after the concert. Instead, a group of fans began singing the “Bad Romance” chorus. More Little Monsters joined, and despite the close crowding and heat, nearly everyone was smiling and sharing monster-like camaraderie.



