Moments

Gaga has never been shy about her love of larger-than-life performance art, and The Mayhem Ball is not an exception. In fact, among all of Gaga’s globe-trotting tours, this one likely is the most interested in the artifice of the show itself — along with giving you an opportunity to watch Mother Monster perform the hits live, you’re getting a story alongside it.

That story, much like the album this tour was inspired by, sees Stefani Germanotta in a soul-wrenching battle with the monster of her own creation, Lady Gaga. Throughout the different acts of this rock opera (the gothic proscenium adorning the stage, along with the bits of scripted dialogue Gaga recites in between, give The Mayhem Ball the vibe of an actual narrative musical), different sides win out. But in the end, the two sides of Gaga fuse into one glorious whole as she finds the beauty in her own personal chaos.

While Gagachella was heralded by everyone as an all-time great performance at the annual festival, some Little Monsters were left wanting when Gaga did not perform any of the tracks off her weird and wild 2013 album Artpop. But those fans will be delighted to know that Gaga heard their protests and added two Artpop tracks to the setlist for The Mayhem Ball.

First, Gaga lit up the Garden with a truncated performance of Artpop opener “Aura,” immediately prompting fans to squeal along with her as she raved that “Enigma popstar is fun, she wear burqa for fashion.” But one of the most energetic reactions from the crowd on Friday night came when Gaga launched into a high-energy rendition of “Applause,” as the entire arena screamed the lyrics along with her.

While Gaga remained largely on-script for most of the show, she could not hold back the tears. After giving a heartfelt rendition of her smash-hit “Die With a Smile,” a stunned Gaga looked into the crowd as her fans cheered her on, before launching into a heartfelt speech about what it meant for her to finally be back in her hometown.

“I know that it’s me standing up here, but you’re all standing in here with me, you know what I’m saying? I feel so honored to be here tonight at Madison Square Garden,” Gaga said, while fans held up signs, including one that welcomed the “Italian girl from New York” back home. “I’m sure you can tell if you listen to the music that I am from here. Everything about my artistry, I think, was born in this town.”

The pop superstar also shared a vulnerable story with fans about a conversation she had backstage with her backup dancer China Taylor, where she said that she felt like she needed to fight through her first performance at MSG. “When I’m in New York, I fight,” Gaga said. “But she said something really special to me. She said, ‘Sometimes, you don’t have to fight, you just have to show up.’” And show up Gaga did.

To go along with her moving speech to the crowd, Gaga also revealed that she had “prepared something special” for the audience at MSG on Friday. For the first time since her Born This Way Ball wrapped in 2013, Gaga gave a stirring rendition of “Hair,” her anthem of self-empowerment off her 2011 album Born This Way. “I’m sure that all of my albums could not have been made without New York, but I am sure this album would not have been made without New York,” a tearful Gaga declared. “This is for all of you, and all your dreams; for maybe sometimes, no more fighting, and just showing up.”

Sat at an upright piano at the end of a catwalk, Gaga led the crowd in a choral-like chant of the song, as she offered up the song’s central “prayer,” promising that she and by extension her audience would “die living just as free as my hair.”

While other albums like The Fame and Born This Way were given their proper shine throughout the evening, this was The Mayhem Ball after all — the songs of Mayhem provided the central backbone for the evening’s performance. Kicking off the show with a rousing rendition of “Abracadabra,” Gaga weaved her way through almost every song on the album (only “Don’t Call Tonight” and “Blade of Grass” didn’t make appearances during the evening).

There were a number of standouts among the crowded field of Mayhem tracks. Her gothic, high-camp performance of “Killah” saw the audience join her in a deeply cathartic scream; both “Perfect Celebrity” and “Disease” saw Gaga thrashing around a sandbox onstage; and after running through “Garden of Eden” early in the show, Gaga looked shocked as the audience gave her a minutes-long standing ovation for her unwavering commitment to the performance.

In the nearly two decades that she’s been making music, Gaga has never been one to be shy about her unapologetic love for the LGBTQ+ community — and that certainly did not stop on Friday night. Gaga spent the show giving nods, but subtle and overt, to the people who helped make her the superstar that she is.

Sometimes, that meant ceding the stage to ballroom dancers, who cut up the catwalk in between Acts I and II. Other times, it saw Gaga engaging in some not-so-subtle symbolism, as her gigantic flowing train lit up with the colors of the rainbow during her excellent rendition of “Paparazzi.” But of course, Gaga had to make sure that the crowd knew exactly what she was trying to say; before launching into a rousing rendition of “Born This Way,” Gaga made her point clear. “We are here for the queer community, do you hear me?” Gaga yelled into the crowd. “This show was made with love for you, because we need the world to love right now.”

While Gaga was undoubtedly the star of her own show, you could not help but feel the presence of her biggest fans in the crowd that evening. Little Monsters stalked the halls of MSG dressed in their best Gaga drag, ranging from simple, Mayhem-inspired looks, to full-blown recreations of the characters from Gaga’s “Abracadabra” video.

For her part, Gaga made sure the fans felt the love on Friday night, too. Along with giving the crowd a new addition to the setlist and a heartfelt speech, Gaga also spent the entirety of “Vanish Into You” performing an impromptu meet-and-greet with fans on the floor. As she walked by her cheering crowd, Gaga stopped to sign vinyls and posters, accepted flowers, blew kisses and even put on a red track jacket handed to her by one of her admirers. As she walked up the catwalk, the whole stadium got to see the loving message embroidered on the back of Gaga’s new coat: “Monsters Never Die.”