From Vegas to Mayhem: The 4 Times We Saw Lady Gaga Live

Four days before we’re supposed to see Lady Gaga live, she cancels a show with a respiratory infection and suddenly my “surprise trip” becomes a gamble. I’m sitting in that quiet, awful space where you realize months of planning might end with nothing but a cold April weekend in St. Paul. Colleen doesn’t even know why we’re traveling yet, so I’m carrying the nerves, the logistics, and the fear that the reveal won’t land.

From there, we zoom out and tell the bigger story: how we didn’t grow up as day-one fans, how A Star Is Born cracked something open, and why Lady Gaga’s career makes more sense when you stop seeing only spectacle. We walk through her arc from early Stephanie Germanotta ambition to the world-building pop eras, the risky Artpop swing, and the Tony Bennett jazz pivot that forces everyone to hear the musician underneath. Those turns aren’t trivia, they’re the reason her live shows feel like narrative theater.

Then we get specific with a concert-by-concert breakdown and a full Mayhem Ball review: Enigma in Las Vegas, Jazz And Piano as a masterclass, Chromatica Ball at Wrigley, and finally the St. Paul night where everything clicks. We talk setlist storytelling, themes of identity and fame, the moment vulnerability takes over, and why Gaga never repeats the same show twice even when she revisits the same songs.

If you’ve ever wondered whether Lady Gaga is worth seeing live, this is the honest answer. Subscribe for more pop culture stories with real stakes, share the episode with a friend, and leave a review so more listeners can find the show.

Transcript

The Silence Before Cancellation News

SPEAKER_00 0:01

There's a very specific kind of silence. The kind that happens when you're about to find out if something you've been building toward for months isn't going to happen at all. It's not loud, it's not dramatic, it just sits there. And on April 6th, 2026, I was sitting in that silence. Because four days before my wife and I were supposed to see Lady Gaga live, a trip she didn't even know the reason for yet, Gaga canceled a show in Montreal, respiratory infection. Sudden, serious enough to stop a show. Close enough to our date to make everything feel fragile. And now I'm sitting there thinking, did I plan an entire surprise trip around something that might not even happen? And worse, did I just drag my warm weather loving wife to St. Paul, Minnesota in April for no reason? This is a story of that night, but more than that, this is a story of four nights. Four completely different versions of the same artist, four different chapters of her career, and the moment we realized we weren't just casually going to concerts anymore, we had become little monsters.

How We Finally Connected With Gaga

SPEAKER_00 1:42

Not even close. We weren't there for the fame. We didn't ride the wave of bad romance when it first hit. We weren't dissecting Born This Way in real time. If anything, we were kind of on the outside looking in. We knew the hits, we respected the spectacle, but we hadn't connected yet. And then 2018 happened. A star is born. That was the shift. That was the moment everything changed because suddenly Gaga wasn't just a pop star anymore. She was Stephanie Germanata, fully exposed, raw, vulnerable, grounded. And if you listened to the show before, you know we actually did a full episode breaking down that film with my buddy Funkel Hipster because it hits us that hard. The music, the story, the performance. That was the entry point, not the costumes, not the headlines, the emotion. Before we go any further into the concerts, before we get into the spectacle, the set lists, the moments, we've got to stop for a second and really understand

From Stephanie To A World Builder

SPEAKER_00 2:48

something. Because Lady Gaga is one of those artists where if you look at the surface, you miss the point. You see the outfits, you see the headlines, you see the viral moments, and you think you understand her, but you don't. Not until you go back to the beginning. Because before she was Lady Gaga, she was Stephanie Joanne Angelina Germanata, New York City, Upper West Side, Catholic school, classically trained pianist. Playing by the age of four, writing songs as a teenager, studying music in a way that wasn't about fame. It was about being great. She gets into NYU, a Tish School of the Arts, and then she leaves. Drops out. And that's where the safe version of this story ends, because what comes next is uncertainty. Small clubs, downtown New York, Lower East Side, spaces where people are experimenting, where our identity is fluid, where performance isn't just sound, it's visual, it's theatrical, it's expression. And this is where something clicks because she realizes being a great musician isn't enough. There are a lot of great musicians, but there aren't a lot of people who can create a world. And that's where Lady Gaga is born. Not as a mask, not as something fake, but as an amplification, a version of herself that's louder, more fearless, more willing to push, and early on it just doesn't work. She gets signed, dropped, signed again, dropped again. There are moments where it almost doesn't happen. She's writing songs for other artists, working behind the scenes, close, but not quite there until 2008. The fame, and everything changes. Just dance, poker face, global, immediate. But what separates her isn't just the music. It's the intention behind everything around it. The visuals, the fashion, the commitment to turning pop into something bigger. Then comes the fame monster, and now the tone shifts, darker, more introspective, bad romance, paparazzi. These aren't just hits anymore, they're commentary on fame, on obsession, on what happens when attention becomes everything. Then born this way. And now it expands beyond her. Identity, acceptance, belonging. This is where she becomes more than an artist. She becomes a voice. Then art pop. And this is where things get complicated. Because now she's pushing further than she ever has, leaning into performance art, experimentation, ideas that don't sit comfortably, and not everyone follows. Critics are mixed, fans are split, and for the first time in her career, there's a question in the air. Where does she go from here? And what she does next might be the most important move of her entire career because instead of doubling down, instead of trying to prove she can outdo herself in the same lane, she pivots completely.

The Tony Bennett Pivot Into Jazz

SPEAKER_00 6:00

Jazz. And not just jazz as a concept, jazz with Tony Bennett. And if you don't understand who Tony Bennett is, you miss how big this moment actually is because Tony Bennett isn't just a singer, he's history. A career that stretches back decades, a voice that defined an era, a level of respect in music that very few artists ever reach, and now he's choosing to work with Gaga, not as a novelty, not as a stunt, but as a collaborator. And that changes everything. Because suddenly all the people who thought Gaga was just spectacle have to stop and listen. Their first full collaboration, cheek to cheek, comes out in 2014. And what you hear on that album isn't a pop star trying something different, it's a musician stepping into a completely different tradition and belonging there. The phrasing, the control, the restraint, all the things she didn't have to show in her pop career are suddenly front and center. And it's not just the music, it's relationship. Because what develops between Gaga and Tony Bennett isn't just professional, it's personal. He sees something in her, not just talent, but authenticity. And she in turn finds something ground grounding in him because at this point in her career, she's been living at full intensity, full spectacle, full pressure. And now she's sitting next to someone who's done this for a lifetime, who understands longevity, who understands pacing, who understands that a career isn't built on moments. It's built on consistency over time. And you can feel that influence. Not just in the music, but in how she starts to carry herself. There's a calm that starts to show up. A confidence that isn't about proving something anymore. It's about knowing. And then you see it live. These performances they do together, they're not flashy, they're not overproduced, they're intimate. And that's the point. Because now she doesn't need the spectacle. She can command a room with just her voice. And for a lot of people, this is a moment where the perception of Gaga changes. She's not just a pop star anymore. She's an artist. A real one. And what's even more important is that this isn't a one-off because years later they come back together again. Love for sale. And this time there's even more weight to it because Tony Bennett is older, near the end of his career, and these performances feel like something more than just music. They feel like the passing of something. Respect, legacy, continuity, and Gaka shows up for that. Not as a bigger star, not as a headline, but as a partner. And that says everything about who she is because she didn't have to do any of this. She could have stayed pop, stayed in spectacle, stayed in the lane that made her famous, but instead, she chose growth. And that choice changes how you hear everything that comes after it. Because now, when she goes back to pop, when she goes back to big shows, when she goes back to spectacle, you know what's underneath it. You know it's real. And that's what makes the next phase of her career hit differently. Joanne. The album Joanne, and this is personal. Stripped down, rooted. Less character, more Stephanie. And then everything converges. A star is born. And this is where everything changes because now she reaches people who never fully connected with her before. No spectacle, no armor, just vulnerability. And it works. Because underneath everything she's ever done, there's always been there. And for us, that's where it started. That's where we connected. But what defines Gaga is what she does next. Because most artists, when they hit something that big, they stay there. She doesn't. She expands again. Because after a star is born, she doesn't just stay stripped down. She builds something new. Las Vegas, Residencies, Enigma. A full scale celebration of everything she's built, the hits, the visuals, the spectacle, and at the same time she's doing something completely different. Jazz and piano. Two versions of herself running side by side. And that duality, that's gaga. 2020, Chromatica. A return to Papa shaped by everything she's been through. Mental health, escapism, healing. And when that becomes the chromatica ball to her, you see her take those themes and turn them into something massive. Shared. And then she keeps going. Love for sale. Back to jazz, back to legacy, back to honoring where music comes from. And now you get to this current era. New music, new evolution, the mayhem ball. And everything she's been, all the versions, all the transformations, they're all in there. And once you understand that, once you really see the full arc, everything about seeing her live makes sense because you're not just watching a concert, you're watching a moment inside an ongoing evolution.

Enigma Vegas Made Us Fans

SPEAKER_00 11:35

And for us, that evolution didn't start in 2008. It started in 2018 with a Star Is Born. And the moment we realized we needed to see this live. So Christmas 2018, I got tickets for the October 17th, 2019 Las Vegas residency performance of her Enigma show. And what I didn't realize at the time was that this wasn't just going to be a concert. It was going to be the beginning of a pattern. Because the first time we saw her, it wasn't just a show, it was an introduction. And it happened in a place built perfectly for that kind of moment. Las Vegas. The Enigma Residency. And that's where everything really begins. So after watching a star is born, something shifted. It wasn't even a big conversation. It was just one of those quiet realizations, like, yeah, we need to see her live. So Christmas 2018, I got tickets for October 17th, 2019, for her Enigma show, as I mentioned before. It was at the Park MGM Garden Arena, now known as Dolby Live. And here's something important about Vegas shows. They're not stadiums, they're not these massive disconnected spaces. They're tight. If memory serves, the furthest seed in that arena is maybe 200 feet from the stage. So even if you're not in the front row, you're in. This show, it was essentially a greatest hits experience. Every major Gaga moment, every recognizable song. But here's the thing: that kind of show can go one of two ways. It can feel like a checklist, or it can feel like a celebration. And Gaga made sure it was a second. She didn't treat it like I've done this a hundred times. She treated it like this might be the first time you've ever seen me, and that matters. There was a moment. She was lifted above the crowd, floating, and even though we were seated in the balcony, she came within maybe 30 feet of us. And suddenly that gap between performer and audience just disappeared. And then one of the wildest moments I've ever seen at a show, she invited a fan on stage, pulled him in for a hug, and then they fell right off the edge of the stage, just gone. You could feel the entire arena freeze and gasp. Like, did that just happen? You know, thankfully everyone was okay, but it was one of those moments that reminded you, this isn't scripted perfection, this is live. It's real, it's unpredictable. And when the show ended, there was no question we were in. Because once you see an artist like that live, you don't go back to casually listening. You start paying attention differently. You start wondering, what does the next version of this look like? And in our case, we didn't have to wait that long. Next up, same city, same venue, completely different experience.

Jazz And Piano Made Us Believers

SPEAKER_00 14:34

So fast forward to the jazz and piano residency. May 1st, 2022. Same building, same city, but a completely different Gaga. And if an Enigma was about scale, this was about precision. We were 12 rows back, close enough to where you're not just watching a performance, you're watching a musician, and that's the thing about Gaga that I don't think people fully understand unless they see this version of her. She's not just performing songs, she's playing them, living inside them, backed by a full big band. This wasn't Pop Gaga, this was Stephanie the jazz artist. And I'll say this without hesitation. This is my second favorite concert I've ever been to. Not just Gaga shows, all time, because everything, stripped down, suddenly reveals everything else. Her voice unreal. Not in a studio-polished way, in a command of the room kind of way, a Frank Sinatra type of way. And the crowd interaction, completely different from Enigma. Less, less spectacle, more connection, where Enigma tells a story and kind of follows an arc and takes you on a journey. This was banter back and forth with the audience. Some just really felt like you were part of the show. Like she was talking to you and she, you know, she laughed, she told stories. You felt like you were in the room with her, not just watching from a seat. And then she starts blending worlds, taking her own songs and reimagining them. Pokerface, but not the version you know, slower, moodio, moodier, almost haunting. And suddenly you realize that song was never just a pop hit. It had depth all along. And hearing the classics, the jazz standards, those songs have lived for decades for a reason. And she stepped into them like she belonged there. That show did something important. It reframed everything we thought we knew about her. Enigma made us fans, jazz and piano made us believers. And I remember thinking, walking out of that show, if she ever does this again, we're there. No questions asked.

Chromatica Ball And The One Moment

SPEAKER_00 16:43

And then, just a few months later, August 15th, 2022, Chicago, Wrigley Field. Now, this, this was scale. This was the biggest gaga show we had seen. Massive crowd, historic venue, the energy you only get in a place like Wrigley. And look, there's something special about seeing any artist in a venue like that. You feel the history, you feel the magnitude, you feel like you're part of something bigger than just a concert. But this is where things get interesting. Of the four shows we've seen, this was my least favorite. It wasn't bad, not even close. It was incredible, still visually insane, still everything you expect from Gaga in terms of spectacle. But it comes down to one simple thing. Chromatica isn't my favorite Gaga album. And that matters more than people think because when a tour is built around a specific era, your connection to that era shapes the entire experience. And for me, I appreciated, I respected it, I loved it, but I didn't feel it the same way. That said, there was one moment, one song that cut through everything. The song Hold My Hand from the soundtrack of Top Gun Maverick. That was the encore. And when that started, everything shifted. That is a power ballad in the truest sense of the world. Because that song, that's Gaga tapping back into that emotional space again. The same kind of feeling we connected to in a star is born. And suddenly, in the middle of this massive, high concept, visually overwhelming show, there was clarity. And that's the thing about her. Even in her biggest, most theatrical moments, she can still cut straight through to the something real. So now, let's zoom out again. 2019, Enigma. 2022, Jazz and Piano, 2022, The Chromatic of Ball. Three shows, three completely different experiences. And at this point, without even saying it out loud, we had become those people. The ones who don't just like an artist, the ones who show up. Different cities, different versions, different eras. Because once you realize an artist isn't just repeating themselves, they're evolving. You want to see every version, and that's what made what happened next hit the way it did. Because now, it wasn't just another concert. It was the fourth time. And it was going to be something different from the start.

The Secret Trip And Rising Dread

SPEAKER_00 19:14

So let's set the scene. This trip was a surprise. My wife Colleen had no idea where we were going. No idea what the plan was, no idea there was even a concert involved. All she knew was we were taking a trip. And up until five days before the show, everything was perfect. She had no idea, I kept my mouth shut, no slip of the tongue, everything was going well. Then April 6th hit. Lady Gaga cancels her Montreal show, her third show in that run of shows in Montreal, respiratory infection. Now, here's the timeline. She performs April 2nd and April 3rd and cancels on Monday, April 6th. Our show? April 10th. That's four days. And suddenly everything becomes uncertain because now I'm sitting there thinking, is she going to be okay? Is she going to cancel more shows? Are we walking into a situation where this doesn't happen? And again, Colleen still doesn't know where we're going. So now I'm carrying all of this alone, and it's not just disappointment. It's logistics. It's expectation. It's the risk of the reveal not landing. Because let's be honest, there's no Gaga show. There is nothing pulling us to St. Paul, Minnesota in April. No offense to Minnesota, but this wasn't a let's go explore spring weather trip. This was a destination concert. And now that destination is a question mark. So, our concert's on Friday. On Thursday morning, we hit the road. And this is one of my favorite parts of the whole story because she's sleeping. Wakes up in Illinois, falls back asleep, wakes up in Wisconsin, falls back asleep. And then nothing until we arrive. I wake her up and she looks around, confused, still half asleep, and says, Where are we? And I say, St. Paul, Minnesota. And without missing a beat, she says, Why? And I still don't tell her. Because now we're inside the window. The same time frame window where Gaga canceled in Montreal. So even though I don't know if this thing is happening yet, so I'm holding on to the surprise while also holding on to uncertainty. You see, our show is on Friday. This is Thursday, which is the first of two shows in St. Paul. So we're waiting, I'm waiting, to find out if she's going to hit that stage on Thursday night, because in Montreal, the it was late in the game when she had to cancel. So we're still in that window. As I mentioned, of her possibly canceling. And that's where we'll pause for a second because what happens next is where everything either falls apart or becomes unforgettable.

Thursday Night Test Show Relief

SPEAKER_00 22:15

So now we're in St. Paul. Still haven't told her why. Still carrying all of this in my head. And Thursday night Gaga has this show. This is the one, the one that tells me everything. Because if she cancels this show, we're done. I'm done. So I'm watching, waiting, refreshing. And then she takes a stage. And not just takes a stage, she performs. No hesitation, no scaled back version, no working through it. She goes out there and does what she always does, gives everything. And in that moment, I felt it. Relief. But not full relief. Because now the thought shifts to, okay, but what about tomorrow? Because now she's performed one show after being sick, and she still has the show on the 10th that we're going to the next day, and then Madison Square Garden, the last stop on April 13th. Her hometown, the final show. So now I'm thinking, is she going to push through tonight and then protect that final show? So even in relief, there's still tension. April 10th, show day. And at this point, I finally tell her the whole trip was for Lady Gaga. And that moment, that realization, the shift from confusion to, oh my God, this is happening. That's why you do surprise trips right there. But even then, there's still that small voice in the back of my head. Until she walks on that stage, nothing is guaranteed.

Mayhem Ball As Controlled Chaos

SPEAKER_00 23:41

And then we're there. The Grand Casino Arena in St. Paul, Minnesota. And I'll say this right away: modern concerts, the sound is unreal now. It doesn't matter if it's an arena, a stadium, a theater, the audio quality has caught up to the scale. So from the first note, you're in it. And Gaga shows, they're not just concerts, they're theater. They're built like a narrative, a journey, a full visual and emotional arc of whatever she is in in her career at that moment. And this one, the mayhem ball, felt like controlled chaos. Big, loud, visually insane, but never messy. Every movement intentional, every transition purposeful, every moment earned. And most importantly, she was fine. Not just got through it, not just happy to be here. She was Gaga. Full energy, full voice, full commitment. And in that moment, all that stress from earlier in the week, gone. Now this is where Gaga separates herself from almost everyone else because what you're watching isn't just a concert. It's a constructed experience. It's a story. And every song, every placement, every transition is intentional. Nothing feels random, nothing feels thrown in just to check a box. It's all building towards something.

Setlist Themes Identity Fame Legacy

SPEAKER_00 25:06

She opens a show with Bloody Mary, at least a shortened version. And what's wild about this, this isn't a song that was originally built to be an opener. It wasn't even one of her biggest hits when it first came out, but over time it evolved. It found a second life. It became something bigger than it was originally intended to be. And that's kind of the perfect way to start a show like this because right away she's telling you, this isn't about timelines. This isn't about playing things the way they were originally received. This is about what they've become. Then she moves into the monster hit Abracadabra. And this is where the tone locks in because this song is all about transformation, illusion, control. The idea that you're seeing what you're seeing isn't necessarily what's real. And Gaga has always played in that space. But here, it feels like she's fully aware of it, like she's pulling back the curtain while also performing behind it at the same time. Judas hits next. And that song has always been misunderstood. When it came out, people focused on the controversy, the religious imagery, the shock value. But underneath all of that is a song about loving something that isn't good for you, being pulled towards something you know will hurt you. And when you hear it in this context, surrounded by everything else that she built into the show, it doesn't feel controversial anymore. It feels honest. Aura comes in, and now things start to get chaotic, but intentionally chaotic. This was always one of the more divisive tracks from ArtPop because it doesn't sit comfortably in any one genre. It jumps, it shifts, it doesn't settle, and that's the point. It's Gaga rejecting the idea that she has to be this one thing. And then Shiza. And this is where the energy just lifts because that song is pure power. It's independence, it's confidence, it's that moment where everything tightens up and locks in, and the entire arena is moving with her. She moves into Garden of Eden, and now you start to feel a thematic thread really takes shape. Temptation, creation, identity. It all connects back to this idea that everything you're watching is built in real time, but also carefully controlled. Then, poker face, and this is where it hits you. That song is the foundation. That's the one that introduced her to the world. But hearing it here in this environment, in this story, it's not just a pop song anymore. It's about performance, about hiding, about presenting one thing while feeling something completely different underneath. Then she brings Abercadabra back. It feels like evolution. And that's when the show shifts. Because now you move into a section that's not about identity as performance, it's about the cost of it. Perfect celebrity. And that title alone tells you everything. This is Gaga stepping back and looking at the machine. The idea that once you reach a certain level, you stop being a person and start being a product. Then disease. And that word choice isn't accidental because now we're talking about what happens internally, the pressure, the expectations, the weight of being watched all the time. It's darker, heavier. And then paparazzi. And this is one that always hits different live because it's one of her earliest songs, but it's also one of her most revealing. It's about the need to be seen, even when it's damaging. And placed here, it feels less like a hit and more like a warning. Love game comes in, and on the surface, it's fun. It's catchy, it's playful. But inside this section of the show, it becomes something else. It becomes part of the system. Desire is performance. Attraction is something that's packaged and consumed. Then Alejandro. And everything slows down just enough to feel it because that song is about letting go, about choosing distance, about protecting yourself. And then the beast. And this feels like the turning point. Like everything that's been internal is now external. And from there, she flips the energy completely. Killa. And now she's in control again. This is confidence. This is presence. This is her saying, I'm not reacting anymore. I'm driving this. Zombie boy follows, and there's a sense of tribute in it, a connection to the outsider culture that shaped her early career. It feels personal. Then love drug. And this is where the theme of addiction comes back, but not in an obvious way. It's not just about substances, it's about attention, validation, the need to be loved. And then applause. And this is the thesis. I live for the applause. And when you hear that line, after everything that came before it, it doesn't feel like ego. It feels like survival. Then she drops into just dance, her first hit, and it feels like release. Like everything that's been building finally gets to breathe. And then the show shifts again because now we're not talking about fame anymore. We're talking about legacy. Shadow of a man. And you can feel the reflection in it. Looking back, measuring yourself against what you've been. Kill for love. Now emotion comes back into the center of it, but it's not soft, it's intense. Summerboy. And this one hits with nostalgia. It reminds you how long she's been doing this, how many versions of her there have been. Then Born This Way, and it lands differently now because it's not just a statement anymore, it's proof. Million reasons. Everything strips down, and it's now just her and this version of million reasons that is not piano driven, but just, you know, bass, like slow club driven. But again, her voice and the reality underneath everything else. And then shallow from a star is born. And for us, this is where it all started. Again, a different version, a darker, heavier version, something that's different than she usually does with that song. And it works, especially in this mayhem ball that she's constructed. So hearing that live after everything we've seen from her across these shows, it's not just another song, it's a full circle moment. Die with a smile carries that forward. There's a reflection in it. It's one of my wife's favorite songs, and it's about acceptance. And then we moved to one of the best examples of her strip down power is when she performs Hair. Now, this part of the show, she switches out songs that she does at this point. So you never know which one she's gonna play. Hair was off of Born This Way. Here she stripped it down. It was a big performance on that, on that album. You know, big thematic song. But here she goes with no production, no spectacle, no distractions, just her voice and the keys. And what was originally, again, this big thematic born this way track about identity and self-expression becomes something much more personal. She then goes into Vanish Into You, which off of Mayhem is one of my favorite tracks. She slows it down, the the whole track slows it down just a little bit enough to let you feel the weight of that song and in that moment, and then bad romance. And it still hits like it always has. Massive, loud, and unstoppable. The crowd goes completely nuts. And then everything narrows. Because now you know what's coming. At least I do because I've looked it up. My wife didn't. The song How Bad Do You Want Me off of Mayhem. And this is where everything everything I talked about earlier, you know, the backstage moment, the transition from persona to person, that all lives during this piece. And it feels like the answer to everything that came before it.

Backstage Encore And A New Song

SPEAKER_00 33:20

But instead of starting on stage, it starts backstage. This is the encore. The camera feed comes on on all the screens. And now you're not watching the performer anymore. You're watching the person. She's sitting there in her dressing room, taking her makeup off. And it's such a small thing, but in the context of everything we've just watched, it's huge. Because this entire show has been about identity, performance, expectation, the version of yourself that people want versus a version of yourself that actually exists. And now she's removing it, literally. And while the song is building, she stands up and she walks through the backstage world, past makeup artists, past assistants, past dancers, all the people who are part of the machine, but never part of the spotlight. And it feels like you're watching her move between two worlds, the constructed version of herself and the real one. And by the time she gets back to the stage and the dancers come back out and the energy rises again, it doesn't feel like a performance anymore. It feels like a release. It feels like everything she's been carrying throughout the show, she's finally letting go of. And for me, that was the moment. Not the biggest song, not the loudest moment, but the one that hit the hardest. Because it felt real. And then she does what she always does. She says goodbye through music. But this time she doesn't go backward. She doesn't close with nostalgia. She closes with something brand new. Runway. From the upcoming Devil Wears Prada to soundtrack. Now she doesn't full-on perform this song. It's kind of as her and the dancers are saying their goodbyes, it's playing in the background. And what's crazy is this song had just come out the day before. So when those first notes hit, the crowd already knows what it is. There's a split second moment, again, where the crowd realizes that, oh, this is new, but they know, and it clicks, and the place just explodes because now you're not just at a concert, you're inside a moment, something brand new, something shared, something that no matter how many times she performs it after this, will never feel exactly like this again. Again, it's not a full-on performance, but just that moment. And, you know, she takes off her cap that she was wearing, long blonde hair, does a runway walk down the runway of the stage, and it just feels right. And that's how she ends it. Not looking back, but moving forward.

Four Shows Later Why It Matters

SPEAKER_00 35:46

So now let's zoom all the way out. Four shows, Enigma in 2019, 2022 Jazz and Piano, 2022 Chromatica Ball, 2026, Mayhem Ball. Four completely different experiences, and not once did it feel repeated. Because Gaga doesn't repeat. She evolves from spectacle to musicianship to scale to something that feels like all of it combined. And when I think about this trip, it's not just the show, it's the buildup, the uncertainty, the risk that it might not happen at all. Driving to a city my wife didn't even know we were going to, hoping that everything lined up, and and then sitting there watching her make her entrance onto the stage and realizing, yeah, this is happening, and not just happening, but delivering exactly the way you hoped it would. And maybe even a little more. So if you've never seen Lady Gaga live and you're wondering if it's worth it, go. Because you're not just getting a concert, you're getting a performance, a story, a spectacle, and a level of commitment that you just don't see from everyone anymore. She gives everything every time. And if you've seen her before, you already know. But what you might not know is that the next time you see her, it won't be the same show. And that's the reason to go back.

How To Support The Podcast

SPEAKER_00 37:10

If you enjoyed this episode of This Won't Teach You Anything, make sure you're following wherever you listen. Leave a review, especially on Apple Podcast. It really does help more than you think. Tell someone about the show, and don't forget, you can text the show directly from the Buzz Sprout episode description. Because at the end of the day, this isn't just about pop culture. It's about the moments tied to it. And this one? This one was worth the risk.