The day of the artRAVE started off with me being a little burnt-out after three days of baking and eating nothing but cake and sugar. My friends and I had our little Gaga Get-Together, eating all of the cakes that I had spent hours (and $$) making. They were delicious- especially the Meat Cake (red-velvet with cherries and cream cheese). We also had some sparkling apple and grape cider. But, really, it was nothing too fancy. Just a few minutes of munching among friends. I was mostly just anxious to get going. Shortly thereafter, my buddy Colin and I climbed into his sunburned Toyota, and began to make the trip to Salt Lake City. As we drove, we jammed to ARTPOP (what else?), and an excited Little Monster inside of me began to grumble and growl, waking up for the first time that day.
Figuring that I'd need a little protein (let's be honest- the cream and eggs in the crème brûlée cake-pops I made weren't really the best sources of those all-too-important amino acids), and that there wouldn't be another opportunity to eat for about twelve hours, Colin and I decided to stop somewhere in Salt Lake to eat. We ended up at a favorite German deli (Siegfried's Delicatessen in downtown Salt Lake- very good), and filled our bellies with spaetzle, sauerkraut, and meat. Probably not the wisest choice when it comes to pre-concert fare, but whatever. It was delicious.
Immediately following the food, we headed over to the arena where the show was to take place, and got in line! While waiting for the doors to open, we made conversation with a friendly girl from Sweden who was vacationing in America for the summer; she's traveled all the way from the East Coast on her own, and plans on circling around the Western states before heading back to Europe at the end of this month. Colin and I had some fun while people watching- have you seen the crowd that a Gaga concert draws?- and even received a few winks and blown-kisses from amicable- and fabulous- drag queens. Not long after lining up, the arena doors opened and we all shuffled inside.
The Little Monster that had been roused on the drive to Salt Lake was awake and ecstatic by the time we got down to the floor of the arena. Gaga's white stage wrapped around the floor, allowing those of us in general admission to be completely encompassed by the show. Clear, Lucite catwalks extended out from the main stage, and were tall enough for the audience to stand and dance under. It was a pretty sweet place to wait out the two hours before the start of the show. The molded stage- with it's snowy, crystalline shapes- was lit by fuchsia-tinted, purple lights. This, along with the pulsing electronic music on a loop (including a remix of "Intro," by the xx) set a broody, danceable tone, which I could tell hinted at the upcoming experience.
In what really felt like no time at all, the show began! Before Mother Monster was to appear, we were to party our way through two opening acts; the first act was an adorable, Japanese, Kawaii-metal ensemble called BabyMetal. It was fronted by three cute Japanese girls- two backup singers and one main vocalist- who danced and sang to chugging, double-bass, metal music played by an all-male band in sick make-up. I loved them! They were super fun to watch, and a blast to dance to! I think I snagged a half-way decent pic (I was dancing too much to worry about playing photographer) . . .
. . . turns out I didn't. Oh, well. You can look them up on YouTube.
Lady Gaga's former touring partner, Lady Starlight, followed BabyMetal, and churned out trance-y beats for about forty-five minutes. She finished up, and we danced for a time to that same electro-music loop, with the crowd tittering more and more anxiously as time wore on. Suddenly, the curtain that was hiding the stage from view dropped, and the white set- with pieces reminiscent of sea shells or snow caves- was lit up with purple and pink lights. At the same time, a screen that ran the length of the stage flashed with the words "ARTRAVE", and "LADY GAGA", in an almost strobe-like way. Following the text were clipped, haunting videos of Lady Gaga, all dressed in white, and throwing herself about in an almost ritualistic manner. Dancers swarmed the stage, some carrying Koons' Gazing Balls, and began dancing fluidly to the abrasive, sticky synth music that had begun to play. Then, front and center, Gaga herself appeared! She rose, slowly, on a platform from beneath the stage. She was dressed in a fashion that made me think of a fairy doll- wings and a long, blonde, pig-tailed wig- with another Gazing Ball protruding from her chest. The effect was mesmerizing, especially as she began to dance and sing to "ARTPOP". She moved with captivating grace and confidence- as if she were born for the stage (which, let's be honest, she was). The perfectly cadenced and coordinated way in which she moved her limbs and hips suggested both a perfect knowledge of her music, with all it's beats and rhythms, as well as a complete awareness of all her body parts.
The show progressed from there; Gaga sang powerfully and perfectly, and one song turned into another- then another, then another- with almost no breaks. We, the audience, were in a dance trance! I was honestly a little worried, before the concert, about whether I knew how to dance to a Gaga song. I mean, I danced to her all the time at my place, but I wasn't about to release that ridiculous, gyrating beast on an unsuspecting audience! I'd only ever been to rock concerts! However, as soon as the first song started playing, it all came naturally, and I didn't stop dancing till the very end. I was in sweaty, energetic heaven. But whatever energy I was giving to dancing, Gaga was giving tenfold. At one point, during the performance of "Swine", she ran over to the side of the stage and vomited. She later informed us that it was not "performance art," but that she had simply overdone it. We would've never known, as it didn't slow her down one bit.
"'I'm on the edge, the edge!' - the [effing] altitude in this b*tch is crazy! I still got this though, don't worry- 'The edge, the edge, the edge, the edge, THE EDGE! ' - I mean, how do you guys breathe up here?!"
"Paws up, Little Monsters!" she screamed. We all obliged with much jumping, dancing, clapping, and singing. It was exhilarating.
There were tender moments, too- at one point a fan threw a wrapped package onto the stage, which Gaga picked up and opened. Inside was a sweet letter, which Gaga read aloud. The letter told of how that fan had been at a Gaga concert four days earlier, after which she found out about the death of her grandfather. The letter told of how wonderful a person he had been- that he was accepting and kind, "[He was] a Little Monster before there had been such a thing!" - and that the fan had felt that she was right where he'd have wanted her to be when he passed. Gaga was a little choked up as turned to the crowd and said, "Grandpa's are the best," before inviting the fan and her friends backstage for a post-show toast to her grandfather's memory. Later, while singing "Born This Way," Lady Gaga informed the audience about her charity (ran by her and her mother), called The Born This Way Foundation- an organization formed to aid troubled/homeless/disabled youth and children. Sh also exhorted parents to stay close to their teenage children, and to frequently ask them if they're okay. She thanked those parents that had brought their kids to the show. It was all very genuine and sweet.
The final costume change of the night preceded the final song- after a brief period of silence- and an empty stage- Lady Gaga emerged wearing a sparkling, white dress that was structured in a way that made it seem as if she were floating when she walked. To complete the look, she wore a long, bright white wig. I was blown away by how radiant and graceful she appeared. When I viewed it online, the outfit simply looked like a cool costume; however, standing twenty feet from Gaga as she floated down the catwalk in it, my preconceptions were completely altered. It did not look like a costume- it looked divine. "She's amazing!" I breathed to Colin, as I watched her, transfixed.
The final song performed was a rousing and powerful rendition of "Gypsy", one of the concluding tracks on ARTPOP. During the performance, Gaga radiated infectious happiness, and we all sang to what we knew would be the last song of the night.
I've thought about that concert a lot in the last few days, and a smile comes to my face each time I remember what a marvel it was. I keep thinking about what a friend told me concerning her Gaga concert experience: "You leave it feeling good about yourself!" She was totally right! Lady Gaga's artRAVE was an extremely uplifting experience. If I had the chance, I would definitely do it again . . . and again . . . and again. I'd do it every day, if I could. If you have the chance to go, you should definitely take it. I promise you won't regret it.
Now that it's over and done, it's time to go back to every day life. Don't worry, though, there are more adventures to be had, and I'm already making plans for them. Thank you to everyone who's followed A Casual Adventure 's Week of Gaga! It was a lot of fun! And it was awesome to know there were at least a few of you who were willing to share this whole experience with me. I hope you stick around to see what's next!
Much Love,
Adam