Chromatica Ball: A Fan’s Perspective

Let me start off by saying, I have been waiting for this concert for two loooong years. Damn to COVID because it was originally supposed to be in 2020 & pushed back till now, August 19, 2022. I have been to Fenway Park many many times as I am a diehard Red Sox fan, the last though being in 2018 for their World Series Victory Parade. This was different, it was an “OMG, I can’t believe this is finally here” moment and boy did it not disappoint. So I am going to take you through to what I experienced last night.. PAWS UP EVERYONE, you ready?

After we arrived in Boston, we decided to make our way down to where our restaurant reservation was, which happened to be part of The Verb Hotel, a cute spot called Hojoko, on Boylston Street, literally right in back of Fenway. They serve Japanese street food in small plates style w/ delicious cocktails. I tried some Izeko Sparking Jelly Sake, which I would highly recommend.. luckily our table was outside… yes it was extremely hot however Lady Gaga was having her sound check during this time. I actually thought it was just them playing her Chromatica record, she sounded that good.

We were in our seats over an hour till the lights went off and everyone went bananas. This isn’t a full video but it gives you an idea of kind of the several videos that were played before each segment of her show. I interpreted this as an arrival of this creature landing on Chromatica (almost like a rebirth)

This started approximately around 8:20pm… felt like a lifetime, but finally had arrived. It was dark and all of a sudden LET THERE BE LIGHT!!!

.

Let me say, I recorded most of my video from the big screen because although our seats were very good, my camera just wasn’t good enough (IPhone 12 Pro).. and also should say her dancers worked hard AF… they were beyond awesome & I wish I knew their names bc I would list them all, they were that good..

She literally banged out 3 of her mega hits right in a row without stopping, Bad Romance, Just Dance and Poker Face…. I didn’t sit down once the entire concert and danced, jumped up and down, swinging my arms like a maniac doing my best Little Monster Paws Up claw, knowing I was getting one of the best workouts of my life tonight.

Interesting fact about Poker Face that I just learned within the last 2 days… the lyrics are: P P P Poker Face, F F Fuck her Face.. I just had been singing, Poker Face probably like everyone else. 😳

Another interlude that made feel like I was witnessing some sort of secret experiment that we were allowed in on then we finally arrived at ACT I

Finally, we would see the first of many songs off her Chromatica album…. If you bought a ticket to this concert, you received a free Chromatica CD with your purchase.. I somehow ended up with 2 sets of tix, 2 yrs ago so I had gotten 2 of these albums, never opening them until recently because I had been listening through Spotify… she began with one of my favorites, ALICE.

Replay was up next and didn’t disappoint.. Lady Gaga’s favorite phrase of the night was, “Put your fucking hands up Boston!”…. I think mainly to show off these cool armbands they gave everyone as you entered the park. They lit up to the beat of the music and in the dark they looked awesome.

Monster was the final song of Act I & for the casual fans of LG, they might not know this song that well but for Little Monsters, this song was epic… not often played but certainly a favorite among dedicated Gaga fans.

And so the next video begins…up close of flowers blooming and opening, more like a viscerally charged feeling of an awakening is how to best describe it. I felt like I was on some sort of acid or mushroom trip (not having taken either but how I imagined it would be) feeling very aware of everything around me.

ACT II started with one my favorite songs released from Chromatica in 911. If you’ve haven’t seen the music video for this gem, check it out. It’s actually very disturbing to me & sort of makes me uncomfortable watching it but aesthetically, it’s worth the watch. It’s actually more of a short film because of its length. For more in depth reading on this video, you can read the Vogue article here.

She then went into a shortened version of Sour Candy…she basically started in the middle when her part comes in…she actually doesn’t sing a ton in this song anyway since it features the South Korean group, Black Pink, and they sing much of the song. The video screens kept flashing the words, Sour Candy & Take a Bite… and then some Korean word that I only assume said, Sour Candy….

Out of all of LG’s songs, Telephone, is probably the least favorite of mine. It’s definitely a banger & fun to dance to but just one that doesn’t give me the feels (sorry to all who love this song). But here’s a clip, for those of you that do love it.

Gaga’s The Fame album was released on this day, August 19, 2008 & one of the most iconic songs was LoveGame. The lyrics, “Let’s have some this beat is sick, I want to take a ride on your disco stick” leaves nothing to the imagination & most people can figure out the reference. This song was her 3rd Number one single on the Billboard Mainstream Top 40 chart.

As the second act ended, it was time to feature the guitar players doing their hard work on stage.. Ricky Tillo, Jonny Good and Tim Stewart can be seen here, jamming like they always do and have been for Gaga on her tours.

This outfit is iconic… my favorite wardrobe outfit of the night.. this is where Babylon starts… it’s like the golden Alien Princess Queen has arrived…. Love this!!!

Chromatica has so many great tracks on the album, it’s so hard to choose, which is my favorite, but Free Woman is definitely right up there. By this time, I was bouncing up and down, my hips were aching.. I didn’t even care if I couldn’t walk the next day (I could) but you would’ve had to drag me out of there kicking & screaming before I took a break to sit down. During this song, Gaga made her way down the middle of the aisles through the crowd surrounded by her bodyguard and dancers, so no one could even reach out & dare touch her. She had now made her way to a smaller stage with just a piano (a piano that looked like a something out of a space aged horror story).

I’m not honestly sure how LG got to this stage for her costume change.. but her dancers were doing their thing at the end of Free Woman so she could make her way for her next few songs at the piano..

And there she appears, I’ll just say, probably from a lift in the hole of the stage.. again, I will apologize for the feed as many people were taking videos and dancing so my shots aren’t as smooth as I’d like them to be.

Born This Way is probably my favorite song of hers. The message this song has for so many people whether you feel like an outcast, don’t think you fit in or just don’t feel comfortable with who you are.. these lyrics are especially,

I’m beautiful in my way
‘Cause God makes no mistakes
I’m on the right track, baby
I was born this way
Don’t hide yourself in regret
Just love yourself, and you’re set
I’m on the right track, baby
I was born this way, yeah

Lady Gaga – Born This Way lyrics

This song resonates very closely with the LGBTQ community but it also rings true for others as well. Love Yourself cuz you were Born This Way baby!

And then we were on to ACT IV….this concert was going by too quick, I really wanted for her to slow down the pace & just my luck, this is where her 2 slow songs began.

This set started off with 2 of her hit songs from her film with Bradley Cooper, Born This Way. Shallow (featured above) and Always Remember Us This Way… her vocal ability really shines through on this one… you know she’s a good singer but here is a song where you listen and think, Wait…she’s an amazing singer.. just a beautiful song.

Edge of Glory was next acoustically on the piano..this is a great song as well but of course this video is too long so I am unable to upload. This is where Lady Gaga took the time to address the issues of what is happening to the rights of women in this country..

1000 Doves was another song she played acoustically, which apparently she told a story of how she wrote this on her porch and would sit out there all day writing songs… originally this song she intended on being acoustic.

At this point, I truly realized that my legs need a lot more toning as I could feel my hips aching just a bit only to get worse with still about 4 songs left to go. Just another great dance song off of Chromatica.. I love watching the shots of the crowd dancing and singing.

Can you believe it? The show is almost over. I had studied the set list for over a month so I knew the order of songs and when it was going to be towards the end of the show.. right before the Finale, this video was played.. I do not have the entire video.

The first single off Chromatica was Stupid Love way back in 2020. It seems light years away but Stupid Love is everything we needed in that terrible year and when it came out I remember smiling and laughing at all the parody videos that had begun to emerge. Good times…

The end of Stupid Love….just waiting for next one…

Of all the songs off of Chromatica, none had me singing it everyday in my office as this one did.. Rain on Me is a duet with Ariana Grande & if I had to name any songs of hers, I would say this one and another duet with another fave of mine, Mika. Other than these two songs, I know almost nothing of her music or her…except for personal stories splashed about in the news that I could care less about. But I do care about this song, in fact I LOVE this song. The only thing I find fault in is that it is too short.

And so we arrive at the ENCORE and the very last song was Hold My Hand from the Top Gun 2 Soundtrack… before I forget, the flames that shot up on the stage were so hot and I was sitting at least 50 rows back.. WARNING to those who are sitting close may or may not have eyebrows after the show.

During this song, Lady Gaga told a story of how the last time she was at Fenway Park in 2017, during her Joanne tour, that the Boston crowd helped her through the show and she wanted to thank them for it. She said, “She’d always be there to hold their hand.” Awwwwww.

So this long 2 year wait is suddenly over and now I feel like there is this void in me wanting more Gaga and her music. I truly believe that Lady Gaga is that special type of person who can always make you feel better about yourself whether it’s through her lyrics, music, spoken words or kind gestures. Her positive outlook on life even when she herself is in pain just goes to show what a strong person she is. We need more Lady Gaga’s in our lives. And always remember, PAWS UP!

And don’t forget to buy some merch… here’s my new Be Free tshirt

This is long I know…but I wanted to really review from beginning to end. More interviews to come in September..

Until then I’m Your Music Stylist…..