Material Girl wows fans

2008-10-06 10:03

East Rutherford - In a show defined by throbbing dance music, tight choreography and spectacular stage sets, perhaps the most stirring moment during the kick-off concert to Madonna's Sticky & Sweet tour came when the Material Girl stood onstage with just her guitar and a few musicians for an acoustic set.

As she sang the emotional song from her movie Evita, Madonna couldn't help but wink and smile at the roaring sold-out crowd as she hit the song's main refrain and title: "You must love me."

Maybe that's because she knew she was right. Even the superstar's most cynical critics couldn't walk away from her two-hour extravaganza at the Izod Centre on Saturday night without being thoroughly wowed.

It was not only the spectacle of the concert, but the performer herself, as she reasserted her musical relevance and dominance in her 25th year in the spotlight.

Madonna is not the world's most gifted singer or dancer or even musician, but she may be its greatest performer.

Non-stop party

From the moment she first appeared on stage, looking taut and chiselled in a black bra and shorts with a mesh overlay, she turned the arena into a massive dance club and a non-stop party.

The zooming Candy Shop, off her most recent CD Hard Candy, set it off as Madonna strutted onstage flanked by an army of dancers.

While they may have executed the show's most intricate dance moves, the ever-fit Madonna dazzled on her own with sinewy steps that belied her age.

Though the show's first moments were devoted to her new album, it didn't take long for her to seamlessly groove back in time, performing one of her 90s gems, Human Nature.

The unapologetic anthem was highlighted by a video that showed Madonna being watched by a security camera in an elevator; as the song went on, Britney Spears' image intertwined with her blonde musical mentor, looking frightened and frail under the camera's lens before striking a decidedly confident pose at the song's end.

New arrangements

It's a testament to Madonna's musical chops that her new music blended so expertly with some of her greatest hits: Elements of 4 Minutes were mashed up with Vogue for a flashback that managed to be both classic and cutting edge.

While she sang many of her classics, such as Like a Prayer, La Isla Bonita, and Ray of Life, those moments weren't relegated to short renditions during the retrospective medley part of the show, like many veterans do.

They were given full attention with colourful, dazzling displays and new arrangements that made them seem as exciting and fresh as when they first made their debut.

Get Into the Groove was re-imagined with the help of a DJ, a double-Dutch playing Madonna and cartoons by the late Keith Haring.

During one of her many guitar-playing moments, she gave a rocked out performance of "Borderline" to the feverishly energetic crowd.

While the Sweet & Sticky tour would have been a triumph in any year, it was particularly impressive coming off her somewhat lacklustre Confessions two years ago, which seemed more like a laboured, carefully designed exercise than a joyful performance.

- AP