Madonna Unspoiled

Madonna concerts are tightly choreographed affairs. They’re staged more like Broadway shows than traditional concerts. She might change up a song once in awhile but usually, once the setlist leaks, you pretty much know what you’re going to get.

But when I walked into the Wells Fargo Center last night, I had no idea what I was going to see. I didn’t want any spoilers so I ignored the setlist and didn’t look at any photos, which meant I had to restrict my Internet access over the last few weeks. The only thing I knew is that it was called the Rebel Heart Tour. This is the way things used to be: In 1993, we saw the Girlie Show and had no idea what songs she would sing. It was long before the Internet and since the show only played three dates in America, there was little press coverage, so we went in pretty much blind.

I’m glad I didn’t see any spoilers before I got to the show. Madonna’s latest tour was a ton of fun. She sounded great and looked very happy. There was very little concept or theme but it was just a bunch of fun songs, simply performed and drawn liberally from Rebel Heart and older albums, with a bunch of surprises.

The opener was the new song “Iconic” as Madonna entered the stage in a cage lowered to the floor while samurai warriors marched around her. The first big surprise was the inclusion of one of my favorites, “Burning Up,” which she played on guitar. It was a dark, hot performance. After that, women in nun veils danced on poles to “Holy Water” to its refrain, “Bitch, get off my pole.” She mixed this up with a little of “Vogue” and during the rap, paintings of Renaissance looking people flashed on the video as she name-checked Greta Garbo, Bette Davis and the gang. That and the Last Supper-esque table on stage made this really witty.

There was some darkness in the first section but after that, the show was a lot lighter and was a rollicking good time. A major shock was hearing “True Blue.” Madonna has released over 60 singles and this was the last one I ever thought she’d perform again, let alone on the ukulele. It was a delightful rendition, as was “Deeper and Deeper,” with her and her dancers whirling on stage. A spiral staircase descended from the ceiling for Madonna to perform the smoky breakup ballad “Heartbreak City” and in maybe the biggest surprise of the night, snuck in a few verses of the 1984 song “Love Don’t Live Here Anymore.” That was one of her left-field set inclusions that I always love. Madonna then danced across stage in ‘80s-reminiscent clubwear to sing “Like a Virgin.” As much as I enjoy the spectacle of the tours, I loved how she did this, just alone on stage and relying on her charisma.

There were a few references to Pope Francis appearing in Philadelphia and New York a few days after Madonna’s tour dates in both cities, as she joked that the pope was stalking her because “he’s secretly in love with me.” Later she would lightheartedly dedicate a section of the show to him and playfully said how she’d been excommunicated from the Catholic Church three times and saw it as a badge of honor because it meant the church was thinking of her.

The Latin section followed, starting with a remix of “Living for Love” and a bullfight theme. I could use a break for a few years from the over-performed “La Isla Bonita” but the song did have a pleasingly heavy bass and gritty feel. Madonna did a wonderful medley of “Dress You Up,” “Into the Groove” and “Lucky Star” to a Latin beat, which was one of my favorites of the night. The new power ballad “Ghosttown,” which recently replaced “Who’s That Girl” (which I also would have loved to see) was very strong. Then she got on the guitar for one of the highlights of the new album, “Rebel Heart,” sort of a manifesto for her career. Madonna thanked her fans for 30 years of devotion and behind her, the video screens flashed artwork of her as done by fans. It was a sweet, sentimental touch.

The most eye-popping set piece of the show was for the interlude of the song “Illuminati.” Dancers were swaying on top of these very high flexible poles in this delicate dance that looked actually dangerous. This and the opening were the most elaborate parts of the show but otherwise, it was almost a minimal performance, which was nice and different for her.

The final act took place in a ‘20s café, with Madonna looking great in this silver flapper outfit. She did “Music” with a cabaret-style intro, which was a wonderful touch. Inexplicably, she followed this with the third tour performance in a row of “Candy Shop,” which really needs to be retired. I actually thought “Material Girl” was retired but it worked really well in this art deco setting with a lot of heavy guitar. After her dancers threw a veil over her head, she threw a bridal bouquet to an engaged couple in the audience and playfully yelled, "Suckers!" Continuing the café theme, Madonna belted out “La Vie en Rose” in French, sounding wonderful. After the snarky “Unapologetic Bitch,” she left the stage, with a playful “Bye, bitches!” scrawled on the video screens.

One final surprise: A traditional encore, which she doesn’t normally do, usually powering through setlists with no breaks. This time it was “Holiday” and Madonna and all the dancers romped across the stage. It was just a fun, wacky performance of a song that was a former setlist staple but that was in semi-retirement for the last few years. I’m glad she brought it back because it reminded me what a deep bench of hits she has. 

I am so glad I made it through without any spoilers so I could let Madonna surprise me. This was not the show I expected but I loved it and loved seeing Madonna relaxed and happy. And as always, I’m grateful that after all these years, my friends and I can get together and sing along to every word together.