Gaga's Minnesota performance ripped apart by The Star Tribune

[Mich 397]

For those of you who didn't already know, Lady Gaga performed here in Minnesota last night. It was by far one of the best experiences I've ever had, and I know many of the GGD members and mods that had attended will agree with how genuine and heartfelt this concert felt.

The Star Tribune, which is the largest distributing newspaper/media company in the state, apparently didn't quite catch the moral of the story much less even try. I find it VERY hard to believe they actually attended this show based on how moving and real the experience was. Here's the article, what do you think?

REVIEW: For much of the night, the gaudy pop star couldn't muster up the magic that made her a superstar.

Like Disney-created tween idols (Hilary Duff, Miley Cyrus) and TV-boosted boy bands (the Jonas Brothers, O-Town), Lady Gaga apparently comes with an expiration date.

In 2010, she was the biggest pop culture figure of this century. All over the radio, magazines, the Internet, dance clubs, TV, Twitter. The queen of all media. She filled St. Paul's Xcel Energy Center for two consecutive oh-my-Gaga nights.

Now, Gaga isn't on the radio. Or the pop charts. Or the Grammys. On Wednesday, she had trouble filling the Xcel (there were plenty of last-minute giveaways to bring the crowd to a near-capacity 14,000). And frankly, there wasn't the same buzz in the building as last time. What could we expect when she's on tour to promote an album ("Born This Way") that was released in May 2011?

Not only is Gaga missing from the media, but she seemed almost invisible at the Xcel. Let me repeat that: The most garish, gaudiest pop supernova of this century was almost invisible during her second arena tour. Hard to believe.

She wore all kinds of masks -- from an elaborate headdress that appeared like a catcher's mask for a stage character in "The Lion King" to a white leather get-up that suggested deer antlers. Between numbers, she usually disappeared, with no action on the stage from either her 12 dancers or her five musicians. Too often she didn't assert her voice during songs, letting the recorded backup singers carry the choruses while she concentrated on choreography in some ridiculously awesome high-heeled footwear.

Not that Gaga was bashful. She talked plenty, about herself and self-love. But it felt more self-aggrandizing than self-empowering. Even when she tried to explain the concept of her set-in-a-medieval-castle show -- something about government-owned alien territory -- it was incomprehensible. At least for her previous Monster Ball tour, she had a vague storyline with a "Wizard of Oz" meets "Rocky Horror Picture Show" vibe. The current Born This Way Ball tour is complex and disjointed, punctuated with Gaga-ish provocative weirdness -- from her entrance on a mechanical unicorn to her raw-meat dress, raw-meat couch and dumping Mother Monster herself into a giant meat grinder. You had to be there.

Indeed. Because when she got out of her Gaganess, the 26-year-old New Yorker proved to be a warm, compassionate and loving human being. She got all choked up thinking about her grandfather and then performed a tear-filled "Edge of Glory" solo on the piano. Her voice was rich, impassioned and gorgeous in a pop-star kind of way. Then she picked up her cellphone and called a fan, Chelsea, in the crowd and sang another piano number, "Born This Way," to Chelsea -- and all her fans. For two marvelous moments, the specialness and the genuineness of Lady Weirdo sparkled.

For the encore of "Marry the Night," she handpicked seven fans from the audience to join her onstage. Even though the rendition of the big dance hit turned out to be all introduction without the big disco climax, this presentation made it clear why Gaga, even though she's no longer hot, still matters to her Little Monsters: Those seven fans followed her around like she was the Pied Piper of the misfits and the misunderstood.

http://www.startribu.../190132161.html

Sorry if AP or in the wrong section, feel free to move mods!

[FairyDreams 4]

Least they did say some good things...

[Didymus 34,379]

I agree with some stuff, but other stuff is just plain ridiculous. The remarks on her voice are absurd. But I agree with everything else to be honest Only I don't think she's not "hot" anymore. I mean, her tour has been such a major success. She's obviously not irrelevant..

[Bambino 24,103]

:roll:

[Nick 29]

My biggest pet peeve is when people say she's irrelevant because she's not on the radio. And they phrase it like "she's not on the radio ANYMORE" so it sounds like she's never returning.

FOR GOD'S SAKE, SHE'S MAKING NEW MUSIC AND TOURING. :roll:

I was there and it was incredible. The crowd was going wild the entire time.

[FairyDreams 4]

As a fan I loved it and that's all that matters to me

[Philip 4]

Not all of the reviews can be good but it's too bad when they have preconceived assumptions about her. Almost seems like they were negative about it even before the show started by saying that the "buzz wasn't the same as last time".

Plus the overall BTW-ball has received fantastic reviews. :)

[jxckk 959]

Must be a madonna fan, I agree that she sometimes hides her voice behind the backing vocals but everything else is ridiculous

[Robotboy 1,700]

first negative review i read. this is obviously a justin bieber fan or something.

[T3ARS 4,132]

this presentation made it clear why Gaga, even though she's no longer hot, still matters to her Little Monsters: Those seven fans followed her around like she was the Pied Piper of the misfits and the misunderstood.

Ouch

[Runway 27,876]

pressed souls

let God herself forgive their ignorant ways

[ChicaSkas 22,325]

Ridiculous. We know the truth.

[Runway 27,876]

Ouch

ouch what?

the GODDESS herself remains unbothered with her sold out worldwide tour

[ChicaSkas 22,325]

Just guessing here -- did a middle-aged conservative neo-con white male write this?

EDIT: It doesn't state his political preference but I was right on a few of those points.

And it seems not all of his readers agree with him anyway, re:

"Since he began covering popular music for the Star Tribune in 1974, Jon Bream has attended more than 6,000 concerts and interviewed the King of Pop, the Queen of Soul and Prince as well as Bob Dylan, U2, three Beatles, four Rolling Stones and all of Maroon 5. He has performed with Alice Cooper, jogged with Willie Nelson and has Taylor Swift on his speed dial. He has written books on Prince, Led Zeppelin and Neil Diamond. But Jon has yet to satisfy a request of many Star Tribune readers: that he take a music-appreciation class."

http://www.startribu...s/10644496.html

[Magoo 6]

... so is it that only the not-so-good reviews make this News discussion?