Reviewed by: Clinton Camper
August 23, 2022 at Globe Life Field
Lady Gaga brought the gamut to Globe Life Field on Tuesday night to a sold-out crowd of her dedicated fans, dubbed “Little Monsters,” in her first concert visit to DFW since 2017. And the little monsters added to the spectacle with their own fashion choices. The field, typically home to baseball jerseys, T-shirts and shorts, was awash in leather, glitter, feathers and alarmingly high heels.
Gaga’s outfits were sufficiently outlandish with sharp angles, alien-like silhouettes, eye-popping masks, gold lamé and plastic-like see-through outfits. Her lips were the deepest of red hues, her eye makeup New Wave ‘80s, her hair bleach blonde.
Gaga also ensured this was the type of show that would play well for those in the nosebleed fourth-tier seats as well as those in the pit. That meant five monstrous five-story high screens, a dozen writhing back-up dancers, two separate stages, two catwalks and occasional missiles of fire shot up into the sky.
Vocally, she was flawless. Her ability to dance and contort about while maintaining perfect pitch could almost be taken for granted given how often other artists (you know who you are) shamelessly incorporate lip-syncing to smooth over the rough edges.
The show was also structured in a way that limited spontaneity, meaning the setlist has remained largely the same throughout the tour, which began July 17 in Dusseldorf, Germany, and concluded Sept. 17 in Miami.
After an elongated instrumental buildup, she opened with three of her biggest early hits in a row: “Just Dance,” “Bad Romance” and “Poker Face.” They are a testament to how she barreled into the pop music world in 2008 with originality and spunk.
Act 1 featured Gaga splayed out on what appeared to be a slab of concrete, prostrate to the world singing “Alice” seeking a harsh “Wonderland” that Lewis Carroll would certainly appreciate. By Act 2, she hit energy peaks with intense takes of “Telephone” and “LoveGame.” Act 3 was transitional, with Gaga moving from the main stage during “Free Woman” to a piano on a stage in the round where shallow centerfield would be during a Braves game.
We then got the more confessional Gaga, who talked about the tough challenges of recent years, alluding to the pandemic, noting how “it felt dangerous to be together.” Now before 40,000-plus fans rubbing shoulders, “when I look back on our life,” she said, “these shared memories, I want to remember us like this.”
Gaga placed a heavy focus on her “Chromatica” record, playing 10 cuts from that album. The tradeoff: She omitted a few of her most notable hits such as “Alejandro,” “Papparazzi” and “Applause.” And she didn’t end the concert with glorious crowd-pleasers like “Born This Way” or “The Edge of Glory.”
Instead, she chose a song that didn’t ultimately become a hit but was part of the soundtrack of the biggest film of 2022 “Top Gun: Maverick.” Dubbed “Hold My Hand”, it’s hopeful and anthemic, a way to leave fans with positive vibes.
“Be yourself and love who you are and everything will be OK!” she told the crowd before leaving the stage with a dramatic bow.