Madonna brings excess, spectacle to fans at Boardwalk Hall
By SCOTT CRONICK At The Shore, 609-272-7017
Published: Sunday, November 23, 2008
ATLANTIC CITY - Madonna concerts are about excess. As the Material Girl evolved into the biggest female pop superstar of the last 25 years, her shows enlarged in scope tour by tour.So it shouldn't surprise anyone that Madonna's return to Boardwalk Hall on Saturday, presented by Caesars Atlantic City, offered fans one of her biggest spectacles yet.To put things in perspective, her "Sticky & Sweet Tour" transports 350 tons of equipment, 600 pieces of luggage, 100,000 feet of electrical cable, 71 guitars and 16 caterers from city to city. There also are five people who change Madonna into different costumes behind the scenes, a playroom for Madonna's children and four large freezers that hold nothing but ice packs for Madonna and her 28 dancers.But it's what fans see on stage that really matters. And Madonna's latest tour is on par with the biggest shows Boardwalk Hall has ever hosted, rivaled only by The Rolling Stones and Madonna's last stop here. The massive stage features two main platforms, one in the front and one at the end of a large ramp that extends through the middle of the sold-out crowd. There are nine hydraulic lifts that help Madonna, her dancers and DJ Enferno make spectacular appearances from under the stage. There's at least seven large video screens and a big cylindrical projection screen in the middle of the arena, ensuring the audience doesn't miss a thing. There's even a 1935 Auburn Speedster sports car that brings Madonna and her dancers to the stage. And don't forget the lasers, conveyer belt and boxing ring.
No doubt, the spectacle is there.But can the recent divorcee still bring it musically? She certainly can.On tour to support this year's "Hard Candy" CD, Madonna's voice sounds pretty great. She still looks incredibly sexy with her bulging biceps and washboard abs. And she remains a terrific dancer.Performing 23 songs from her storied career in four sets - "Pimp," "N.Y. Old School," "Romani Gypsy" and "Rave Armageddon," the latter with a futuristic dance floor - the setlist was heavy on her new album. She offered a whopping nine new songs from the 12-cut album, which is OK when she delivers classic albums such as "Music" and "Ray of Light," but with a mediocre CD such as "Hard Candy," nine songs is a lot to take, even with the eye-popping visuals.The show began with Madonna arriving to the stage on a throne and blasting into back-to-back "Hard Candy" offerings - "Candy Shop" and "Beat Goes On" - before beginning to roll out some big hits, including "Human Nature" and "Vogue," followed by a remix of her James Bond theme song, "Die Another Day," in a video interlude.The setlist certainly featured some nostalgic Madonna goodies, including a classic-rock version of "Borderline," the still-incredible dance tune "Into the Groove" and the crowd favorite "Like a Prayer," which feature freestyle dancing ninjas.Of course, Madonna also rolled out the more techno-driven dance songs that helped reinvent her career, including "Ray of Light," "Music" and "Hung Up." Her closer, "Give It 2 Me," a fast-paced new track, served as a perfect encore and had the crowd dancing harder and singing louder than it did all night.Along with the heavy "Hard Candy" setlist, there were a few other disappointments. The fact that Madonna, who is clearly not a great fretwoman, picks up the guitar for at least six songs is totally unnecessary. It also seemed like there was less overall dancing than on her "Confessions Tour."But there were far more positives than negatives, as there should be for a two-hour concert that received $350 for its top ticket price at the box office."She's Not Me," one of the best songs off "Hard Candy," came with Madonna's trademark attitude as she walked by fake Madonnas dressed as her in nostalgic Madonna garb, pointing her finger at them and verbally assaulting them one by one. "La Isla Bonita" was reworked as a country song with fiddles and an accordian - and was strangely satisfying. She showed her vocal chops on "You Must Love Me," her "Evita" single that she nicely performed backed by four Gypsy musicians. And the virtual appearances via video screens from Kanye West, Timbaland, Justin Timberlake and Pharrell were very cool, with Britney Spears' appearance trapped in an elevator during "Human Nature" offering a real crowd-pleaser.At 50 years old, Madonna remains the single most relevant female pop star in the world. If the "Sticky & Sweet Tour" affirms one thing, it's that Madonna still holds the title of "Queen of Pop." And it looks like she's not ready to relinquish it any time soon.E-mail Scott Cronick:SCronick@pressofac.comMadonna's Boardwalk Hall setlist"Candy Shop," "Beat Goes On," "Human Nature," "Vogue," "Die Another Day" (video interlude)"Into the Groove," "Heartbeat," "Borderline," "She's Not Me," "Music," "Rain" (DJ interlude)"Devil Wouldn't Recognize You," "Spanish Lesson," "Miles Away," "La Isla Bonita," "You Must Love Me""Get Stupid" (video interlude), "4 Minutes," "Like a Prayer," "Ray of Light," "Hung Up," "Give It 2 Me"
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