LADY GAGA TORONTO MONSTER BALL TOUR - SECOND LEG REVIEW (PICS & VIDEO)

Seeing Lady Gaga's Monster Ball a second time this evening at Toronto's Air Canada Centre proved to be a wise decision as the first leg of the Tour was lacking in many regards. This time around, Gaga has perfected her show with meticulous precision using bigger production, bigger budget, bigger sets, bigger theatrics. Phenomenal.

Delivering nothing but the best selections from The Fame and The Fame Monster, each song packed a punch, tieing in with the evening's theme of the journey to The Monster Ball where Gaga claims we can all be "free to be the Superstars we deserve to be because we've given her so much confidence as a person".  She cites that after having been made to feel awkward and un-sexy in her youth, she can finally bask in her own sensuality now, repeatedly asking the audience, "Am I sexy?". 

The sold-out show was endless dazzle, with some remote similarities to its earlier incarnation,  including some recycled Screen Projections and Choreography, but of course, all new Costumes. This time around, Gaga added a few unheard tracks like Vanity, which she wrote quite some time ago, and You and I which she performed in the rain on The Today Show this past Friday in New York stating "You Monsters (term of endearment for fans) brought a rain cloud over the stage, creating one of the most epic moments in Television History". Also, she paid respect to Telephone collaborator Beyoncé, jokingly calling her a "Shady Bitch" when introducing that number on a mobile phone shortly after rewarding one lucky audience member with a live telephone call from the stage. Prior to this, Gaga made note of her ardent support for a Foundation supporting homeless LGBT Teens who have either run away or been kicked-out of their homes after "coming out".  On each night of her Tour, she wil be donating $20,000 to the Charity.

One of the brightest moments of the show, literally and figuratively, was Gaga's performance of ballad Speechless, a replication of her American Music Awards rendition, complete with a flaming Piano. Mentally in a better place this time around, as she was very distraught on her last tour with the news of her father's illness, she excelled beautifully on the number this time. And how could anybody forget So Happy I Could Die, performed in a feathery white number which moved as if it were alive, as she was elevated into the air?

Visually spectacular, Paparazzi featured a giant Monster on-stage, signaling Gaga's arrival at the Monster Ball. "The Monster's undressing me", she shouted on stage as its Tentacles reached over, trapping her.  Finally, she defeats it with her signature Flaming Bra.  

Gaga's loves for the Gays is well-documented and she dedicated Boys Boys Boys to "all the Gay Toronto boys" and furthering catering that demographic, she accepted a rainbow Pride Flag from the audience during her encore performance of Bad Romance, and marched off stage with it.

Lady Gaga's Monster Ball was outstanding. I have nothing to critique about it. Every single detail was well-conceptualized and the flow seamless. And of course, I was so proud to see my friend Ricky Tillo (pictured at bottom left) rocking-out on the Guitar stage right - him easily being the second star of the show. I felt genuinely engaged this time around and didn't feel like I was just a Spectator, which is how I felt on the last leg of the Tour.

Enjoy these photos I got from the show tonight:

Watch Lady Gaga perform So Happy I Could Die at Air Canada Centre in her Living Dress (Audio Content Owned by Universal Music):

.... and unfortunately I never got the chance to meet Gaga this time around (my fifth try!) as she was very incognito this time around. There are no stories of her inviting fans on her Tour Bus to report as she entered and left through secret entrances/exits of her Hotel. Her Tour Manager however was kind enough to have the Hotel Staff deliver an envelope to her for me, to have her personalize some photos for me.

(Photo credit: Mr. Will-W.)