Last week I had the honorary privilege of attending Madonna's MDNA concert with my friend Nikki. This will definitely be a longer post than usual because there's so much that happened & it's such an emotional experience for me so I don't want to leave anything out, plus there are quite a few pictures so you've been warned...
As for my makeup/hair...I was paying homage to "Her Madgesty" because I know she's been wearing it this way a lot lately, in appearances and videos. Plus, I am not the greatest hair stylist so it was one of the only looks I felt confident I could get right! Lol!
It was easy for me to do....I blew it out, set it in pin curls, sprayed it, let it set for a few hours, did my makeup & got dressed. When it came time to take it out, I ran through the curls with my fingers, turned my head upside down to shake it out and spray it, to give a volume boost. I then pinned the front section back using 2 bobby pins leaving the sides voluminous. I gave it a once over with spray and was done!
I'd just like to point out....I'm always the runt of the litter! Lol! I have 5 inch heels on and I'm still the shortest!!!
Anyway, here's my hair...for those of you who've been following her style lately, this is what she's been doing.
That's me w/Nikki & the boys!!! Next to me is our friend Brian, who is hilarious and adorable!!
(HI BRIAN!!! XO) The other guy we met there and he happened to be wearing the same exact tank top that Brian had on! What are the chances!!!!
My makeup was easy enough. I was in such a hurry so I didn't get super closeup shots but it was a gun metal smokey eye w/ Lit Cosmetics "Nightlife" glitter on top. It was perfect & I got so many compliments on it! It has specks of navy blue, hot pink, silver and gun metal. I knew it would be the PERFECT top coat for my look.
(I will be doing a separate review on Lit Cosmetics because I have a few others to show. They have the BEST glitter!!!) I will also be hosting a giveaway with some Lit Cosmetics Glitter so be on the lookout for that!
As for my makeup/hair...I was paying homage to "Her Madgesty" because I know she's been wearing it this way a lot lately, in appearances and videos. Plus, I am not the greatest hair stylist so it was one of the only looks I felt confident I could get right! Lol!
It was easy for me to do....I blew it out, set it in pin curls, sprayed it, let it set for a few hours, did my makeup & got dressed. When it came time to take it out, I ran through the curls with my fingers, turned my head upside down to shake it out and spray it, to give a volume boost. I then pinned the front section back using 2 bobby pins leaving the sides voluminous. I gave it a once over with spray and was done!
I'd just like to point out....I'm always the runt of the litter! Lol! I have 5 inch heels on and I'm still the shortest!!!
Anyway, here's my hair...for those of you who've been following her style lately, this is what she's been doing.
That's me w/Nikki & the boys!!! Next to me is our friend Brian, who is hilarious and adorable!!
(HI BRIAN!!! XO) The other guy we met there and he happened to be wearing the same exact tank top that Brian had on! What are the chances!!!!
My makeup was easy enough. I was in such a hurry so I didn't get super closeup shots but it was a gun metal smokey eye w/ Lit Cosmetics "Nightlife" glitter on top. It was perfect & I got so many compliments on it! It has specks of navy blue, hot pink, silver and gun metal. I knew it would be the PERFECT top coat for my look.
(I will be doing a separate review on Lit Cosmetics because I have a few others to show. They have the BEST glitter!!!) I will also be hosting a giveaway with some Lit Cosmetics Glitter so be on the lookout for that!
You can kind of see my makeup. I also double stacked 2 sets of lashes for extra drama. I do that when I go really dark on my eyes. It brings everything out more. I contoured my cheekbones from underneath, like Madonna loves to do. This makes them more prominent. I don't usually do this because it's a bit much for me but I did it for this occasion.
My lips were pink & glossy. I used Spice lip liner, All Styled Up lipstick w/a top layer of my new Marilyn Monroe dazzle glass called "Little Rock"
(ALL lip products are from M.A.C)
We got to the venue early so we could have dinner & drinks before the show, which was set to start at 8pm but everyone knows Madonna never starts on time. She usually runs between 1-2 hours late, sometimes 3. But seriously, she can because what's everyone going to do, leave? NOT! Lol!
I say this all the time but she really has the best fans because everyone goes ready to party, sing, dance & just have a good time! There's no drama, everyone is there just to have fun. Her shows are so well put together! This was the 4th time I've seen her and it's always the same thing...very upbeat, she sings and dances throughout the whole two hour show! She puts these other artists out today to shame, she really does! Her energy and drive is superhuman!
In the 2 hours before the show, she had a DJ on stage playing music but honestly, I didn't care. Lol!
I heard a few gay boys say "it would be worth watching if he'd take his shirt off, otherwise whatever!" LOL!
People were just hanging out and having fun, singing, dancing and carrying on. She brings in ALL walks of life and it just shows how universal and relevant she is. STILL!
This lady flew in with her son (on the left, wearing a wig) from Kentucky for her birthday! They had some seating problems and got bumped up to the front row!! Madonna ended up grabbing his cowboy hat, wearing it and throwing it back into the crowd. We saw them after the show and he was screaming..."Madonna wore MY cowboy hat!!!"
I was really looking forward to seeing a gaggle of voguing Drag Queens but this was the only one I saw!! I was so disappointed! Her shows are notorious for Drag Queens showing up in SERIOUS Madonna gear, like fully loaded, head to toe, exact replicas! I was surprised :-(
In the 2 hours before the show, she had a DJ on stage playing music but honestly, I didn't care. Lol!
I heard a few gay boys say "it would be worth watching if he'd take his shirt off, otherwise whatever!" LOL!
People were just hanging out and having fun, singing, dancing and carrying on. She brings in ALL walks of life and it just shows how universal and relevant she is. STILL!
This lady flew in with her son (on the left, wearing a wig) from Kentucky for her birthday! They had some seating problems and got bumped up to the front row!! Madonna ended up grabbing his cowboy hat, wearing it and throwing it back into the crowd. We saw them after the show and he was screaming..."Madonna wore MY cowboy hat!!!"
They were so sweet!
So it was about 10:15 when the lights went out, her huge MDNA curtain dropped to reveal the stage and the crowd let out an earth shattering scream!! There was not an empty seat in the entire arena, it was just insane!
This stage opens with a church setting, Gregorian chanting, and slow & steady church bells ringing.
It was a mix of Catholicism and Eyes Wide Shut! Lol! I had no idea what was happening but it was so hypnotic!
Her voice trickles in with the opening "Oh my God" prayer to Girls Gone Wild and everyone's going crazy!!! She comes out about 5 minutes later and it was madness! The build up was so intense by the time she came out, the crowd was desperate to see her! Lol! She had her hair EXACTLY like I had mine!!!! See? I know my Madonna ;-)
It was a mix of Catholicism and Eyes Wide Shut! Lol! I had no idea what was happening but it was so hypnotic!
Her voice trickles in with the opening "Oh my God" prayer to Girls Gone Wild and everyone's going crazy!!! She comes out about 5 minutes later and it was madness! The build up was so intense by the time she came out, the crowd was desperate to see her! Lol! She had her hair EXACTLY like I had mine!!!! See? I know my Madonna ;-)
She did a fab job with Girls Gone Wild! It's one of my faves on MDNA & reminds me of some of my friends who also love it! (Jacob, I'm talking to YOU!! XO)
She went right into "Revolver" which was the prefect transition to slow things down before she went into "Gang Bang" I was SO happy to see her perform these songs live because I wanted to see what she'd do visually. She had a fake gun and she was shooting people, it was executed beautifully.
She went right into "Revolver" which was the prefect transition to slow things down before she went into "Gang Bang" I was SO happy to see her perform these songs live because I wanted to see what she'd do visually. She had a fake gun and she was shooting people, it was executed beautifully.
The one good thing about our seats was that we could see backstage as well. So we could see her and the dancers prancing around a few seconds before and after some of the performances. It was totally voyeuristic! Lol!
She rolled around on the floor in classic Madonna fashion into "Papa Don't Preach" and it felt like the crowd was definitely more responsive to her older hits. MDNA came out just 6 months ago but I, of course, knew the words to EVERY song she did! Lol!
She then performed some of "Hung Up" from the Confessions on a dance floor album, which is also amazing from start to finish. That concert was equally as amazing as this one!!! During this song she had her dancers bouncing around on bouncy, tight rope-like wires and flipping around, it was nuts!
She then performed some of "Hung Up" from the Confessions on a dance floor album, which is also amazing from start to finish. That concert was equally as amazing as this one!!! During this song she had her dancers bouncing around on bouncy, tight rope-like wires and flipping around, it was nuts!
Nicki Minaj made a guest appearance via teleprompter (previously recorded of course) to do her rap on "I don't give a*"...
She changed into this adorable majorette outfit like she was in a marching band and she was surrounded by marching band members. She twirled a baton around for a while and towards the end went into her notorious mash up of "Express Yourself" and Lady Gaga's Born This way... which were oddly similar!!! Lol! I'm obviously kidding because Gaga's crazy if she thinks the songs are different! She hopped around while she threw in a few "She's Not Me" lyrics. *Heeheehee*
I doubt Madonna's threatened by anything Gaga has to say, considering she's said and done it all FIRST but it was her way of saying, "keep copying me and I'll keep exposing you for it" So bitchy but fun at the same time!
Born This Way is a mix of Express Yourself, Ray Of Light and a tiny pinch of Deeper and Deeper.
There, I said it and everyone knows it. I appreciate Gaga but let's be honest...The end!
"Give me all you luvin" was next with all the dancers doing drum inspired dancing, SO awesome! She then did "Turn up the radio" by herself with a guitar which got everyone jumping around non stop for a few minutes!
"Open Your Heart" had everyone singing along and mixed it with the tribal sounding "Sagara Jo"
Basque trio Kalakan performed it with her. It's very dancey in it's way so I can see how she was able to incorporate this into her show.
She then took a moment to thank everyone for coming, express her gratitude & talk to the audience.
She changed into this adorable majorette outfit like she was in a marching band and she was surrounded by marching band members. She twirled a baton around for a while and towards the end went into her notorious mash up of "Express Yourself" and Lady Gaga's Born This way... which were oddly similar!!! Lol! I'm obviously kidding because Gaga's crazy if she thinks the songs are different! She hopped around while she threw in a few "She's Not Me" lyrics. *Heeheehee*
I doubt Madonna's threatened by anything Gaga has to say, considering she's said and done it all FIRST but it was her way of saying, "keep copying me and I'll keep exposing you for it" So bitchy but fun at the same time!
Born This Way is a mix of Express Yourself, Ray Of Light and a tiny pinch of Deeper and Deeper.
There, I said it and everyone knows it. I appreciate Gaga but let's be honest...The end!
"Give me all you luvin" was next with all the dancers doing drum inspired dancing, SO awesome! She then did "Turn up the radio" by herself with a guitar which got everyone jumping around non stop for a few minutes!
"Open Your Heart" had everyone singing along and mixed it with the tribal sounding "Sagara Jo"
Basque trio Kalakan performed it with her. It's very dancey in it's way so I can see how she was able to incorporate this into her show.
She then took a moment to thank everyone for coming, express her gratitude & talk to the audience.
It's so funny how the arena had close to 20,000 people there and everyone shut up when she started talking. She also took a few minutes to say hello to some of her dancer's families that were in the front row!
She sat on the stage to sing "Masterpiece" which is one of my favorite ballads of hers. It reminds me of *Jeffrey Paul* who calls me "Mona Lisa" :-)
Clips of "Justify My Love" rang out onto the crowd and these really sexy visuals graced the stage and screens. She was obviously changing because after 2 minutes of that she came out and performed "Vogue" much to the screeching pleasure of the crowd!!! It really is a classic that every generation enjoys and not 1 person was sitting down for that one!
"The Erotic Candy Shop" was a mix of "Candy Shop" (from her Hard Candy) album and "Erotica" She was wearing a Jean Paul Gaultier cone bra/corset, white men's shirt & slacks when she came out for Vogue and it was stripped from her as the songs played on. It was very androgynous, she does that very well. She also did a sexy dance with her boyfriend, backup dancer Brahim Zaibet, that resulted in him sucking her fingers!! O.O
Another one of my faves, "Human Nature" was next and it's from one of my top 3 albums of hers, Bedtime Stories.
She slowly undressed, then ripped her shirt off to reveal a pretty black lace bra and ended the song by pulling her pants down! I'd heard she'd done this at other shows but I didn't want to know or look it up because I wanted to see everything for the first time....but she totally pulled her pants down to reveal a seriously taught butt. She's in SERIOUS physical shape!
I wasn't going to take a picture but she stood there for a good few minutes so I thought, why not?! Lol! I don't care how old she is, she looks AMAZING!!!
After she pulled her pants up, she began to talk about the name that was written on her back...AMANDA. I knew immediately that she was referencing Amanda Todd the girl who'd just committed suicide because she was being bullied.
Madonna said, "This girl was bullied and killed herself. THAT is what I call terrorism. So, we can talk about the Taliban, yes there is terrorism in Iraq, Afghanistan, Iran, Libya...all over the world. But there is terrorism right here in the United States of America and it has to f*cking stop! We are all responsible. This song is for Amanda..."
Another one of my faves, "Human Nature" was next and it's from one of my top 3 albums of hers, Bedtime Stories.
She slowly undressed, then ripped her shirt off to reveal a pretty black lace bra and ended the song by pulling her pants down! I'd heard she'd done this at other shows but I didn't want to know or look it up because I wanted to see everything for the first time....but she totally pulled her pants down to reveal a seriously taught butt. She's in SERIOUS physical shape!
I wasn't going to take a picture but she stood there for a good few minutes so I thought, why not?! Lol! I don't care how old she is, she looks AMAZING!!!
After she pulled her pants up, she began to talk about the name that was written on her back...AMANDA. I knew immediately that she was referencing Amanda Todd the girl who'd just committed suicide because she was being bullied.
Madonna said, "This girl was bullied and killed herself. THAT is what I call terrorism. So, we can talk about the Taliban, yes there is terrorism in Iraq, Afghanistan, Iran, Libya...all over the world. But there is terrorism right here in the United States of America and it has to f*cking stop! We are all responsible. This song is for Amanda..."
I love that she uses her celebrity to address these issues. Her reach is greater than most and to see her using every chance that she can to help, makes me appreciate her even more. People were crying, it was very touching.
On stage it was just her and a man playing piano. She dropped to the floor and crawled up to the piano slowly as she sang a very slow & sultry version of "Like A Virgin" She ended the song on top of the piano and it was such a moment with the crowd. It almost seemed like everyone knew not to clap too loud because she was taking in the moment and had just expressed anguish over this girl's suicide, so the applause came in slowly. It was really pretty!
"Love Spent" is such a beautiful yet sad song on MDNA. Clearly it's about her ex-husband, Guy Ritchie. After listening to Madonna for most of my life, I feel safe to say she really puts her life into her work so if you know her, you know what she's talking about. She had a dancer come up from behind her and undo her hair and proceeded to put her corset back on then tighten it. She ends by taking a wad of money and throwing it at him. Very true to the song, metaphorically. Brilliantly done!!
"Love Spent" is such a beautiful yet sad song on MDNA. Clearly it's about her ex-husband, Guy Ritchie. After listening to Madonna for most of my life, I feel safe to say she really puts her life into her work so if you know her, you know what she's talking about. She had a dancer come up from behind her and undo her hair and proceeded to put her corset back on then tighten it. She ends by taking a wad of money and throwing it at him. Very true to the song, metaphorically. Brilliantly done!!
The dancers then got a little spotlight during "Nobody knows me" so she could change yet again (I love it) The dancers bounced on ropes again and the visuals included kids who'd been killed because they were gay or bullied along with images of her as different world leaders. It was very strong and very political.
It's the best song on her American life album. The music is great but she talks about not letting the world dictate who she has to be just because she's famous. It's a real f*ck you to her haters! :-)
All of a sudden a man who worked at the arena tapped me on my arm. He handed me a sheet of paper. I looked closely at it and saw it was her playlist, of the show for that night! On it was every song she'd performed in order!! It was hard to hear because everything was so loud but I managed to ask him, "why are you giving me this?"
He leaned in and said, "you look like you're having such a good time. I just thought you'd want it." Well, I almost started crying. Lol! I got down and gave him a huge hug and thanked him. What a total sweetheart to do something like that. It was nothing to do but meant so much to receive. It made the night even more magical!
At this point we were over our seats and figured we bounce around a little bit to get a better view. There were 4 songs left so we were willing to take our chances. We bopped around until we found the perfect spot & were able to see the end of the show head on.
She performed "I'm Addicted" barefoot with her dancers and went into "I'm a sinner" on a raised platform, playing guitar and with crazy visuals that made it look like she was on a moving train!! I got vertigo just looking at it! Lol!
I swear, I don't care what religion you practice, when she performs "Like A Prayer", you're in church!!! It was beautiful! She had a choir and it took me right back to the video! She always wears a robe for this one (this one was shiny w/the letters MDNA on the back) and the singing is so beautiful!! The whole stage was lit up and filled with gold lights so it reflected on her sequined robe so she looked like a walking gold light...if I didn't know better I'd think I'd died and gone to Heaven, literally!! Lol! In fact, all the pics I took ended up just being huge balls of gold light! I couldn't take a clear shot of it! It was really a sight to see!
Then the finale....Oh...My...Stars!
The Godfather of all light shows started to cover the dark stadium like a blanket...It looked like empty boxes moving around, the graphics were spectacular!
Celebration starts to come on. It's just bass....and lights, her voice trickled in and people were going crazy. I LOVE this song and video so much because it's so jumpy! (her ex-boyfriend mega hottie, Jesus Luz is in the video-serious eye candy!!!)
She came out in what looked like leather, shiny leggings and high top sneakers, a glittery top that said MDNA on the back....and she starts BREAK DANCING....on an elevated platform, no less!!!! I almost died!!
I was trying to record it but I had to dance so I only got like 4 minutes! Lol! It was the most awesome thing I've ever seen. It was like a massive rave!! The dancers had on like neon outfits and they were non stop for the entire end of the show. The choreography was so in sync and perfectly done! The guys had on Beats by Dre headphones and they were all break dancing together at one point, it was crazy! She got thrown on one dancers shoulders and then spun in a cartwheel. As they're all dancing up and down the stage, parts of the chorus to "Girl Gone Wild" are being mixed in. It was the coolest mix of songs. You didn't know what to sing along to but they worked so well together!
As the show ended everyone on stage had their headphones on and made it look like they were DJ'ing and dancing, then they all disappeared into the ground after she said good night.
I was out of breath just watching and screaming and clapping, I have no idea how she does this...night after night, day after day, year after year. You'd think after all of that she'd be tired but it seemed like she had even more energy than before and went out with a bang!
For anyone who doubts her, she has more energy than anyone I've ever seen or known! She's bionic!!!
All in all I think it was really the best show I've ever seen, ever, in my life! She was smiling the whole time and was so interactive with the audience, she seemed so into it! It was seriously a magical night!
I am eternally grateful to my friend Nikki who got the tickets and invited me. (HI NIKKI!!! THANK YOU SO MUCH! YOU ARE THE BEST! XO)
I'm so glad we saw her when we did because she ended up canceling her next show in Dallas (due to severe laryngitis) I seriously would've become psychotic. Lol!
I love her resilience and unmatched ability to reinvent herself STILL! I read that MDNA was supposed to be an homage of sorts to all of her past hits and if you listen closely you can pick up on that. Hints of songs stream in and out, it's amazing how she can make something new, with something old in mind, and keep it fresh.
She's untouchable! She's hands down my favorite artist of all time, has my complete respect and loyalty. Every penny she charged (and got) for every ticket was right on stage. She spared no expense and gave the performance of a lifetime! I'm still blown away!!
For MORE Madonna check out my other post I wrote about her a few months ago when her MDNA album was dropping. It touches on some facts & cool memorabilia I didn't include here...*MADONNA*
XO
Keep it Prettie!
*Stephanie*
It's the best song on her American life album. The music is great but she talks about not letting the world dictate who she has to be just because she's famous. It's a real f*ck you to her haters! :-)
All of a sudden a man who worked at the arena tapped me on my arm. He handed me a sheet of paper. I looked closely at it and saw it was her playlist, of the show for that night! On it was every song she'd performed in order!! It was hard to hear because everything was so loud but I managed to ask him, "why are you giving me this?"
He leaned in and said, "you look like you're having such a good time. I just thought you'd want it." Well, I almost started crying. Lol! I got down and gave him a huge hug and thanked him. What a total sweetheart to do something like that. It was nothing to do but meant so much to receive. It made the night even more magical!
At this point we were over our seats and figured we bounce around a little bit to get a better view. There were 4 songs left so we were willing to take our chances. We bopped around until we found the perfect spot & were able to see the end of the show head on.
She performed "I'm Addicted" barefoot with her dancers and went into "I'm a sinner" on a raised platform, playing guitar and with crazy visuals that made it look like she was on a moving train!! I got vertigo just looking at it! Lol!
I swear, I don't care what religion you practice, when she performs "Like A Prayer", you're in church!!! It was beautiful! She had a choir and it took me right back to the video! She always wears a robe for this one (this one was shiny w/the letters MDNA on the back) and the singing is so beautiful!! The whole stage was lit up and filled with gold lights so it reflected on her sequined robe so she looked like a walking gold light...if I didn't know better I'd think I'd died and gone to Heaven, literally!! Lol! In fact, all the pics I took ended up just being huge balls of gold light! I couldn't take a clear shot of it! It was really a sight to see!
Then the finale....Oh...My...Stars!
The Godfather of all light shows started to cover the dark stadium like a blanket...It looked like empty boxes moving around, the graphics were spectacular!
Celebration starts to come on. It's just bass....and lights, her voice trickled in and people were going crazy. I LOVE this song and video so much because it's so jumpy! (her ex-boyfriend mega hottie, Jesus Luz is in the video-serious eye candy!!!)
She came out in what looked like leather, shiny leggings and high top sneakers, a glittery top that said MDNA on the back....and she starts BREAK DANCING....on an elevated platform, no less!!!! I almost died!!
I was trying to record it but I had to dance so I only got like 4 minutes! Lol! It was the most awesome thing I've ever seen. It was like a massive rave!! The dancers had on like neon outfits and they were non stop for the entire end of the show. The choreography was so in sync and perfectly done! The guys had on Beats by Dre headphones and they were all break dancing together at one point, it was crazy! She got thrown on one dancers shoulders and then spun in a cartwheel. As they're all dancing up and down the stage, parts of the chorus to "Girl Gone Wild" are being mixed in. It was the coolest mix of songs. You didn't know what to sing along to but they worked so well together!
As the show ended everyone on stage had their headphones on and made it look like they were DJ'ing and dancing, then they all disappeared into the ground after she said good night.
I was out of breath just watching and screaming and clapping, I have no idea how she does this...night after night, day after day, year after year. You'd think after all of that she'd be tired but it seemed like she had even more energy than before and went out with a bang!
For anyone who doubts her, she has more energy than anyone I've ever seen or known! She's bionic!!!
All in all I think it was really the best show I've ever seen, ever, in my life! She was smiling the whole time and was so interactive with the audience, she seemed so into it! It was seriously a magical night!
I am eternally grateful to my friend Nikki who got the tickets and invited me. (HI NIKKI!!! THANK YOU SO MUCH! YOU ARE THE BEST! XO)
I'm so glad we saw her when we did because she ended up canceling her next show in Dallas (due to severe laryngitis) I seriously would've become psychotic. Lol!
I love her resilience and unmatched ability to reinvent herself STILL! I read that MDNA was supposed to be an homage of sorts to all of her past hits and if you listen closely you can pick up on that. Hints of songs stream in and out, it's amazing how she can make something new, with something old in mind, and keep it fresh.
She's untouchable! She's hands down my favorite artist of all time, has my complete respect and loyalty. Every penny she charged (and got) for every ticket was right on stage. She spared no expense and gave the performance of a lifetime! I'm still blown away!!
For MORE Madonna check out my other post I wrote about her a few months ago when her MDNA album was dropping. It touches on some facts & cool memorabilia I didn't include here...*MADONNA*
XO
Keep it Prettie!
*Stephanie*
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