It was a spectacular show in Oracle Park on Thursday night! Lady Gaga’s anticipated tour lit up San Francisco with her dazzling outfits, amazing vocals, interesting visuals and huge cannons shooting out fire! Let’s recap the night, shall we?
Every night in San Francisco is beautiful, but this night was particularly special. Thousands of fans surrounded Oracle Park, looking fashionable and excited for the show. Out of all the concerts Top Shelf has covered, this event has to be one of the most exotically dressed. People wore black angel outfits, tight skirts, sparkly dresses, masquerade masks and even see-through tank tops. The crowd was very LGBT+ friendly and it was fun to see everyone express themselves. There was even a fan who dressed and looked just like Lady Gaga! Fans kept wanting to take a picture, because they did a great job looking like the musical icon.
There were over 30,000 fans at Oracle Park.
Some were getting their drinks on, taking pictures all around; others were shopping at the merchandise sections or mingling with each other. The hype was real. The stage setup was very interesting, as there were multiple giant screens. Above the main stage, there was one large video screen and two large screens on the sides. The main stage was large and had a round piano and drum set towards the back. Above the main stage was a second stage that looked like a walkway. There was also a second stage (aka, B Stage) in the middle of all the seats on the floor. It was about 150 feet across from the main stage.
At 8:46pm, the lights turned off and the crowd went nuts! There were so many fans roaring and screaming. The show started off with an introductory video of Lady Gaga staring at the camera. After a few minutes, “Bad Romance“ started playing and fans went crazy. On the stage above the main stage, Lady Gaga appeared inside a shaped box that reminded us of Frankenstein. She had a futuristic mask that looked like Robocop. Towards the end of “Bad Romance”, the “Haus of Gaga” (aka, her dancers) separated the box and Lady Gaga was free. She then sang “Just Dance” and “Poker Face”.
After she sang the first three songs, Gaga and her dancers danced offstage. The video screens read “ACT I”. Lady Gaga’s Chromatica Ball Tour contained a prelude and five acts. Between each act, Gaga would change into new outfits that were all exotic in nature. One outfit was all gold and looked like something you would see at a ceremony in Italy or China.
Gaga and her dancers performed the first 11 songs of the show on the main stage. On some songs, cannons in front of the stage shot out fire. It was epic! Gaga encouraged the fans to jump up and dance during her songs; she would also get everyone involved by telling them to put their hands up and move around. It is always awesome when an artist wants their fans to be included in the show and have a good time.
In the middle of “Free Woman”, a song off her current Chromatica album, Gaga and her dancers danced their way to the B Stage in the middle of the crowd. Fans were screaming and recording on their phones as she danced and sang past them. Some fans started to cry, because they were just a few feet away from the music legend.
After “Free Woman”, she sat in front of the piano and spoke to the crowd. She gave her love to San Francisco and gave a shout-out to her hair stylist, Frederic Aspiras, who’s been working with Gaga for 15 years. Aspiras and his mom used to live in San Francisco. After Gaga told this story, the fans cheered. Gaga dedicated her next song “Born This Way” to him and sang in on the piano moments later. The pop star also gave shout-outs to singer Tony Bennett who “Left His Heart In San Francisco”, as well as Bloodpop, who produced her Chromatica album. He happened to be in the house Thursday night! Gaga talked about the pandemic and how everything has changed in the last two years. She was so honored and humbled to be performing in San Francisco when she honestly thought she would never tour again. The fans cheered and clapped, because we are forever united from enduring the unending fears that the pandemic brought to us all.
After she finished speaking to the crowd, the lights turned off and “ACT IV” began. The pianist and drummer on the main stage each had a solo performance. After the “ACT IV” intermission finished, Gaga reappeared on the B stage in another awesome gold outfit. The intro guitar of Gaga’s hit song “Shallow” played on the speakers and fans were screaming. Moments later, Gaga sat in front of the piano and started playing. She sang beautifully and fans lit the arena with the lights from their phones. It was a spectacular moment that we will never forget. She performed other hits including “Always Remember Us This Way”, “Edge of Glory” and “Angel Down” on the B Stage. During “ACT V”, she danced her way back to the main stage. She ended the night with her new hit song, “Hold My Hand”.
We are all so privileged to have seen this spectacular performance by Lady Gaga in San Francisco. The week of the show was tough for the people of California, as they suffered from power outages and a huge heat wave. We were so lucky for the perfect night, the perfect weather and a beautiful full moon. It was meant to be and we can’t wait to do this again.
Photography by Phil Halperin
Share this article
or
Get music updates in your inbox