Rebel Heart Tour press reports, reviews, videos & pictures

[HolidayGuy]

Didn't see a link/article posted for The Washington Post:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/on-rebel-heart-tour-stop-madonna-doesnt-miss-a-beat/2015/09/13/e0228b9a-5a59-11e5-8e9e-dce8a2a2a679_story.html

Style
On ‘Rebel Heart’ tour stop, Madonna doesn’t miss a beat

By Chris Kelly

September 13

A Madonna concert in 2015 raises a host of questions: Is new album “Rebel Heart” any good? Amid the Beyonces, Taylors, Mileys and Gagas, where is Madonna’s place in pop music? After three decades in the spotlight, does Madonna still have it?

The moment Madonna’s show started Saturday night at the Verizon Center, those questions and more went out the window, a defenestration the Catholicism-obsessed queen of pop would appreciate. Surrounded by a phalanx of centurions (her dancers in their first get-up) and backed by a full band and three monstrous screens, Madonna descended from above in a cage and sang the first of the night’s many self-affirming songs, “Iconic.” “I’m starting a revolution,” she told the crowd. “Are you with me?”

For the capacity crowd, the answer was a resounding yes, even if the question is a bit dubious. Although “Rebel Heart” grabs at current pop sounds with both hands — a Diplo beat here, a Nicki Minaj verse there — the album feels anything but revolutionary. That didn’t seem to matter for her fans, the ones who grew up on her ’80s and ’90s hits, the ones dressed as bulls and matadors or “Like a Virgins” and “Material Girls.” Madonna has no illusions about the age of her audience, teasing an eager fan, “I remember you, baby — you’ve been following me around for three decades.”

The concert seemed crafted to blow away those fans, ones who have seen her dazzling live shows before. Her latest show is an astonishing spectacle that draws from Cirque du Soleil, “300,” the Chinese New Year, “Grease” and — as always — Catholic imagery. After all these years, religion remains Madonna’s hottest button, and she continues to find new ways to make blasphemy sexy. Re-creating the Last Supper as a bacchanalia? Dancers clad in lingerie and nuns’ habits, using crucifixes to pole dance? It may be harder to shock and titillate in 2015, but that hasn’t stopped Madonna from trying.

“Rebel Heart” dominated the set list, but Madonna wasn’t afraid to try new things with old favorites. “Into the Groove” and “Lucky Star” were recast as Latin pop in a medley of catalogue classics, and she strapped on a Flying V guitar for “Burning Up” and traded it in for a ukulele for “True Blue” and a cover of Edith Piaf’s “La Vie en Rose.” The latter she dedicated to President Obama, whom she said didn’t accept her invitation: “Maybe I’m too provocative.”

After her latest of countless reinventions, Madonna is as provocative as ever. But she’s also reflective, using her concert not just to celebrate “Rebel Heart” Madonna but also all of her incarnations — so many that she’s started to lose track. “I don’t really know who I am,” she confessed near the end of the show. “But bitch, I’m Madonna.”

Kelly is a freelance writer.

[Jumpb4uthink]

i read the review and it sounds positive.

tanks for sharing the video. not sure what the 300 inspiration is about either

i believe the reviewer is referring to the movie 300. Didn't see it but I think it is about mid evil fighting soldiers.

[side_streets]

i believe the reviewer is referring to the move 300. Didn't see it but I think it is about mid evil fighting soldiers.

Spartans against Persians. So, it is Ancient Greece. ;-)

[Guest]

exactly...and sorry...i mixed up the links...thanks holidayguy

[Bat-Fan]

DO you think Madonna had in her contract with LN to release the tour on DVD? Not all artists release all their tours on DVD but we have been lucky with Madonna last 3 tours. Do you think we will get a DVD this time?

[Roland Barthes]

If anything it's a nod to Games of thrones, we know she's a fan of the show.

[Confessit]

DO you think Madonna had in her contract with LN to release the tour on DVD? Not all artists release all their tours on DVD but we have been lucky with Madonna last 3 tours. Do you think we will get a DVD this time?

Without a doubt it will have a DVD release.

She works so hard on her tours she wants then documented.

[lori]

Another rave review:

Madonna brings A-game again

Madonna at the Verizon Center Saturday night. (Washington Blade photo by Joey DiGuglielmo)

The first questions posed when the subject of a new Madonna tour comes up are typically what was the controversy, how dark was it and did she skimp on the hits?

I’m an odd duck among Madonna fans and always have been. The thing I’m most interested in is how were the arrangements? After years of toying with her live renditions, Madonna and her creative team are masters at tweaking her hits — usually by playing with percussion beds and chord progressions while keeping melodies and tempos (mostly) intact. Although rare, these experiments occasionally backfire (“Like a Wirgin” anyone?).

The incarnations this time out for the “Rebel Heart Tour,” which touched down in Washington Saturday night in a glitch-free performance (remarkable as it was only the third show of the tour), were as effectively fresh as any I’ve ever heard her use. Even more satisfying, though, was the bumper crop of second-tier hits she pulled out. It was actually nice, for a change, to get a reprieve from oft-performed stalwarts such as “Like a Prayer” and “Express Yourself” (or even the oddly perennial “Human Nature”) in favor of several she hasn’t sung live in decades. Having toured consistently her last five albums (in the new music paradigm, it’s where all the money is especially for veteran acts), she’s more inclined to plunge deeper for material. For the faithful — and this was no less a gay high holy day than it’s ever been — that was a real treat.

“Burning Up” was thrashy and spare; “True Blue” found Madonna plucking out the accompaniment on a ukelele (trust me, it worked); “Love Don’t Live Here Anymore” was woven in beautifully with “HeartBreakCity, a cut from the new album; “Deeper and Deeper” was thankfully rescued from the torchy makeover it had on the “Re-Invention Tour” to its original tempo; while a sparse “Like a Virgin,” performed solo over a blisteringly syncopated beat, felt like it rocked the Verizon Center rafters.

Although not averse to the occasional mash-up, Madonna has for years eschewed the hits medley approach. So it was a delightful surprise when what started out sounding like a Latin-infused (and slightly slower) rendition of “Dress You Up” turned out to be an ‘80s medley that seamlessly wove in “Into the Groove,” “Everybody” and “Lucky Star” before returning to “Dress.” Equally fun was the next song, an acoustic sing-along of “Who’s That Girl,” another early-career hit that’s been out of rotation too long. “La Isla Bonita,” “Material Girl” and encore “Holiday” were offered in more faithful renditions.

For reviving such relatively deep cuts, it never felt like Madonna was scraping. You might think, having toured so much in the last 14 years and being the kind of singer known for mixing things up from tour to tour (although almost never from night to night), her discography would start feeling a bit exhausted by now. That was not the case and it left her plenty of room for stuff from the new album with 12 “Rebel Heart” tracks represented in some capacity (a few were interludes). While not career-defining by any means, the new cuts meshed well with the classic material and the show was expertly paced. Oddly MIA were “Ghost Town” and “Joan of Arc.”

“Holy Water,” with gyrating nuns, was naughty fun, much like “Body Shop.” The biggest showstopper came about half-way through with an expertly choreographed rendition of “Living for Love.” The dancers, sets, video screens, costumes, were all as top-level as we’ve come to expect from a Madonna tour. This is a woman who never coasts. Overall, this outing had a lighter, less gritty feel than the “MDNA Tour.” Both work — this was just more fun.

Only one moment felt slightly off — the oddly flat false exit at the end of “Unapologetic Bitch.” It was redeemed by “Holiday,” (itself a surprise as Madonna almost never gives an encore) but still felt abrupt and anti-climactic.

For me, the biggest surprise was how strong Madonna’s vocals were. For all her bluster, stamina and innovation, her vocals, pleasant enough, have never been the calling card. During several of the evening’s quieter moments, especially a late-in-the-show and out-of-nowhere cover of “La Vie en Rose,” you almost could imagine a whole evening of that working without all the sets and bombast. Her range, tone quality and interpretive abilities have improved with age. It was a nice surprise on a pitch-perfect evening.

https://www.washingtonblade.com/2015/09/14/madonna-brings-a-game-again-on-rebel-heart-tour/

[dollhouse]

She's truly getting the best reviews of her entire career..could this be her best tour ever?

[markm]

She's truly getting the best reviews of her entire career..could this be her best tour ever?

I think so. She seems so happy on stage and the setlist is great and she really is connecting with the audience.

[Guest Pud Whacker]

My own little press moment, haha. Because of my drawings being used in the show I got invited to the #1 dutch late night talk show RTL Late Night to talk about the experience. It's all in dutch, but I thought I'd share it anyway haha!

I LOVE IT!!! xo

[Guest Pud Whacker]

She's truly getting the best reviews of her entire career..could this be her best tour ever?

yes, shes getting good reviews but i suggest you go read the reviews from all her shows since 1985. shes always been a darling of the tours.

[Guest Medoner]

Ive seen the light yall. At first i found the opening bland but with no delusion at all i can now say im in love with it.

[FreeMySoul]

my gosh i've never so many amazing reviews

[Jumpb4uthink]

I think so. She seems so happy on stage and the setlist is great and she really is connecting with the audience.

it appears definitely more intimate. The audience love her interaction with them. I think also, because it is in arenas, the scope is smaller but her vision is larger.

[Routa]

Ive seen the light yall. At first i found the opening bland but with no delusion at all i can now say im in love with it.

Oh praise The lord halleluja! Welcome back to The light! in ALL seriousness, its actually really cool opening!

[Guest Medoner]

No its really awesome! Goosebumps everytime shes leading that army

[XXL]

New York Times? Time?

[Jumpb4uthink]

New York Times? Time?

i think for the NY shows.

[systemvalues]

A resumè of an italian review .. I hope she ( the journalist) saw the show, but that seems the case...Here is the juice: she outlined the fact that M is facing ageism ( ban from radio etc)..she praised the mix of costumes, the enriched musicality that M put in the show. The critic went on writing that M chose to perfom BIM and holy water ( deemed as atroucious), using the religious theme, the nuns, the pole above the nun etc instead of the ballads of Rebel Heart..The review continued stating that M made a self-celebration singing her classics with new arrangments, sang La vie en rose ( in an uncertain way.. she used the adjectif "incerta") with ukulele à la Marilyn. The journalist ended the piece with the question " ma questa, quanto pensa di andare avanti con un ritmo simile " ? i.e. : how much time does she think she can endure with this rhytme?..praising her energy I guess but returning to the theme of ageism.. a non-sense in my opinion

[calzolari]

First show Sold Out

[freddykrueger86]

Go M!

[Nikki]

One of the greatest abuses in pop music is the misuse of the word “artist” as it applies to entertainers. When pop singer Britney Spears emerged from the darkest parts of her personal meltdown in 2007, she did so with a videos for her singles “Gimmie More” and “Piece of Me.” Despite being two of the most expensive productions in her career, both videos largely centered on a seemingly incoherent Spears stumbling around the small stage of a closed set. She herself was out of control, but still being prodded around by handlers despite the objections of her family. The episode revealed that – no matter how wonderfully entertaining she is – Spears is not an artist who reflects and challenges the culture around her, but a product whose entire career has been created, written, produced, shaped, and managed by RCA Records.

That same year, Madonna entered into a $120 million 10-year contract in 2007 with Live Nation to promote her concert tours, studio albums, and merchandise. At the time, it was a high-risk investment for Live Nation but a guaranteed win for Madonna, who retained creative control (and most of the profit) of her art and her products. Madonna’s Rebel Heart Tour – the last tour under her current contract with Live Nation – played the Verizon Center on Saturday evening. The two-hour show perfectly showcased how the best selling female singer of all time remains not just a great and iconic entertainer, but a relevant artist

The Rebel Heart Tour is not a greatest hits tour. As with her most-recent MDNA (2012) and Sticky & Sweet (2008) tours, the show centered on promoting her current album (Rebel Heart). While including many of her past hits, the Verizon Center show demonstrated Madonna’s capacity to continue to grow and express herself as an artist 30 years after her first national tour.

On Saturday, Madonna proved that she can even be relevant when she’s not even trying. Opening the show with the song “Iconic,” Madonna descended onto stage in a cage that opened to free the singer to walk down a staircase and into a crowd of dancers waiving crosses. Although the choreography was planned months in advance, it deliciously mirrored the jail-exit rally of anti-gay Kentucky clerk Kim Davis earlier in the week

A Rebel Heart Tour rehearsal teaser video showing Madonna’s Kim Davis-esqe concert entrance. Although the choreography was planned months in advance, Madonna’s emergence from a caged cell to an enthusiastic throng of dancers waving crosses proved she can be culturally relevant without trying

The Rebel Heart Tour feels personal despite being a large production. It previous interviews, Madonna has stated her intent to work with her production team to develop a concert which honors her past hits while she continues to move forward artistically. One of the most effective ways she did this on Saturday night was by teasing out the flamenco-inspired melodies of “La Isla Bonita” to flavor a long acoustic medley of “Dress You Up”/”Into the Groove”/”Everybody”/”Lucky Star” and continuing that acoustic aesthetic over a full performance of “Who’s That Girl.” While concert medleys of hits often fail to satisfy the audience, the crowd at the Verizon Center was clearly enraptured by the intimate set. Despite a career of being known as over-the-top, Madonna took a risk in placing the pinnacle of her concert on this low-key, low-energy set. It worked.

The entire Rebel Heart Tour show seemed tamer than previous tours. Being Madonna, there was plenty of religious iconography and sexuality. But, to her great artistic credit, they weren’t relied on as tropes. “I don’t think I created a particularly provocative show,” Madonna remarked midway through her performance. “Well, except for the nuns on stripper poles.” She was right (and the stripper poles were shaped as crucifixes). While the show itself was a visual spectacle of dancers, videos, and costumes, it still allowed plenty of room to focus of the concert on Madonna’s strong vocals.

It’s almost cliche to call Madonna an inspiration, but she is. Her career gave templates to virtually every female pop singer on the charts today. Her 1991 Truth or Dare documentary is credited for sparking reality television, and the personal fashion style of her early career defined the look of the 1980’s. As she enters the fourth decade of her commercial career, Madonna continues to inspire by demonstrating how an artist can continue to grow and express themselves well-after their success has been solidified. Madonna could have cashed in with a series of “Best of” tours years ago. Instead, with the Rebel Heart Tour, she continues to challenge herself and her artistic expression. After decades of pushing the envelope, Madonna’s greatest strength remains in how she continues to push herself.

http://brightestyoungthings.com/articles/live-dc-madonna-verizon-center.htm

[angiecat]

First show Sold Out

[Donuts]

One of the greatest abuses in pop music is the misuse of the word artist as it applies to entertainers. When pop singer Britney Spears emerged from the darkest parts of her personal meltdown in 2007, she did so with a videos for her singles Gimmie More and Piece of Me. Despite being two of the most expensive productions in her career, both videos largely centered on a seemingly incoherent Spears stumbling around the small stage of a closed set. She herself was out of control, but still being prodded around by handlers despite the objections of her family. The episode revealed that no matter how wonderfully entertaining she is Spears is not an artist who reflects and challenges the culture around her, but a product whose entire career has been created, written, produced, shaped, and managed by RCA Records.

That same year, Madonna entered into a $120 million 10-year contract in 2007 with Live Nation to promote her concert tours, studio albums, and merchandise. At the time, it was a high-risk investment for Live Nation but a guaranteed win for Madonna, who retained creative control (and most of the profit) of her art and her products. Madonnas Rebel Heart Tour the last tour under her current contract with Live Nation played the Verizon Center on Saturday evening. The two-hour show perfectly showcased how the best selling female singer of all time remains not just a great and iconic entertainer, but a relevant artist

The Rebel Heart Tour is not a greatest hits tour. As with her most-recent MDNA (2012) and Sticky & Sweet (2008) tours, the show centered on promoting her current album (Rebel Heart). While including many of her past hits, the Verizon Center show demonstrated Madonnas capacity to continue to grow and express herself as an artist 30 years after her first national tour.

On Saturday, Madonna proved that she can even be relevant when shes not even trying. Opening the show with the song Iconic, Madonna descended onto stage in a cage that opened to free the singer to walk down a staircase and into a crowd of dancers waiving crosses. Although the choreography was planned months in advance, it deliciously mirrored the jail-exit rally of anti-gay Kentucky clerk Kim Davis earlier in the week

A Rebel Heart Tour rehearsal teaser video showing Madonnas Kim Davis-esqe concert entrance. Although the choreography was planned months in advance, Madonnas emergence from a caged cell to an enthusiastic throng of dancers waving crosses proved she can be culturally relevant without trying

The Rebel Heart Tour feels personal despite being a large production. It previous interviews, Madonna has stated her intent to work with her production team to develop a concert which honors her past hits while she continues to move forward artistically. One of the most effective ways she did this on Saturday night was by teasing out the flamenco-inspired melodies of La Isla Bonita to flavor a long acoustic medley of Dress You Up/Into the Groove/Everybody/Lucky Star and continuing that acoustic aesthetic over a full performance of Whos That Girl. While concert medleys of hits often fail to satisfy the audience, the crowd at the Verizon Center was clearly enraptured by the intimate set. Despite a career of being known as over-the-top, Madonna took a risk in placing the pinnacle of her concert on this low-key, low-energy set. It worked.

The entire Rebel Heart Tour show seemed tamer than previous tours. Being Madonna, there was plenty of religious iconography and sexuality. But, to her great artistic credit, they werent relied on as tropes. I dont think I created a particularly provocative show, Madonna remarked midway through her performance. Well, except for the nuns on stripper poles. She was right (and the stripper poles were shaped as crucifixes). While the show itself was a visual spectacle of dancers, videos, and costumes, it still allowed plenty of room to focus of the concert on Madonnas strong vocals.

Its almost cliche to call Madonna an inspiration, but she is. Her career gave templates to virtually every female pop singer on the charts today. Her 1991 Truth or Dare documentary is credited for sparking reality television, and the personal fashion style of her early career defined the look of the 1980s. As she enters the fourth decade of her commercial career, Madonna continues to inspire by demonstrating how an artist can continue to grow and express themselves well-after their success has been solidified. Madonna could have cashed in with a series of Best of tours years ago. Instead, with the Rebel Heart Tour, she continues to challenge herself and her artistic expression. After decades of pushing the envelope, Madonnas greatest strength remains in how she continues to push herself.

http://brightestyoungthings.com/articles/live-dc-madonna-verizon-center.htm

Best one so far!

[Plasticlimbo]

One of the greatest abuses in pop music is the misuse of the word “artist” as it applies to entertainers. When pop singer Britney Spears emerged from the darkest parts of her personal meltdown in 2007, she did so with a videos for her singles “Gimmie More” and “Piece of Me.” Despite being two of the most expensive productions in her career, both videos largely centered on a seemingly incoherent Spears stumbling around the small stage of a closed set. She herself was out of control, but still being prodded around by handlers despite the objections of her family. The episode revealed that – no matter how wonderfully entertaining she is – Spears is not an artist who reflects and challenges the culture around her, but a product whose entire career has been created, written, produced, shaped, and managed by RCA Records.

That same year, Madonna entered into a $120 million 10-year contract in 2007 with Live Nation to promote her concert tours, studio albums, and merchandise. At the time, it was a high-risk investment for Live Nation but a guaranteed win for Madonna, who retained creative control (and most of the profit) of her art and her products. Madonna’s Rebel Heart Tour – the last tour under her current contract with Live Nation – played the Verizon Center on Saturday evening. The two-hour show perfectly showcased how the best selling female singer of all time remains not just a great and iconic entertainer, but a relevant artist

The Rebel Heart Tour is not a greatest hits tour. As with her most-recent MDNA (2012) and Sticky & Sweet (2008) tours, the show centered on promoting her current album (Rebel Heart). While including many of her past hits, the Verizon Center show demonstrated Madonna’s capacity to continue to grow and express herself as an artist 30 years after her first national tour.

On Saturday, Madonna proved that she can even be relevant when she’s not even trying. Opening the show with the song “Iconic,” Madonna descended onto stage in a cage that opened to free the singer to walk down a staircase and into a crowd of dancers waiving crosses. Although the choreography was planned months in advance, it deliciously mirrored the jail-exit rally of anti-gay Kentucky clerk Kim Davis earlier in the week

A Rebel Heart Tour rehearsal teaser video showing Madonna’s Kim Davis-esqe concert entrance. Although the choreography was planned months in advance, Madonna’s emergence from a caged cell to an enthusiastic throng of dancers waving crosses proved she can be culturally relevant without trying

The Rebel Heart Tour feels personal despite being a large production. It previous interviews, Madonna has stated her intent to work with her production team to develop a concert which honors her past hits while she continues to move forward artistically. One of the most effective ways she did this on Saturday night was by teasing out the flamenco-inspired melodies of “La Isla Bonita” to flavor a long acoustic medley of “Dress You Up”/”Into the Groove”/”Everybody”/”Lucky Star” and continuing that acoustic aesthetic over a full performance of “Who’s That Girl.” While concert medleys of hits often fail to satisfy the audience, the crowd at the Verizon Center was clearly enraptured by the intimate set. Despite a career of being known as over-the-top, Madonna took a risk in placing the pinnacle of her concert on this low-key, low-energy set. It worked.

The entire Rebel Heart Tour show seemed tamer than previous tours. Being Madonna, there was plenty of religious iconography and sexuality. But, to her great artistic credit, they weren’t relied on as tropes. “I don’t think I created a particularly provocative show,” Madonna remarked midway through her performance. “Well, except for the nuns on stripper poles.” She was right (and the stripper poles were shaped as crucifixes). While the show itself was a visual spectacle of dancers, videos, and costumes, it still allowed plenty of room to focus of the concert on Madonna’s strong vocals.

It’s almost cliche to call Madonna an inspiration, but she is. Her career gave templates to virtually every female pop singer on the charts today. Her 1991 Truth or Dare documentary is credited for sparking reality television, and the personal fashion style of her early career defined the look of the 1980’s. As she enters the fourth decade of her commercial career, Madonna continues to inspire by demonstrating how an artist can continue to grow and express themselves well-after their success has been solidified. Madonna could have cashed in with a series of “Best of” tours years ago. Instead, with the Rebel Heart Tour, she continues to challenge herself and her artistic expression. After decades of pushing the envelope, Madonna’s greatest strength remains in how she continues to push herself.

http://brightestyoungthings.com/articles/live-dc-madonna-verizon-center.htm

This is one of the best !! Great material, Nikki, thank you!

[zephyralexxx]

My own little press moment, haha. Because of my drawings being used in the show I got invited to the #1 dutch late night talk show RTL Late Night to talk about the experience. It's all in dutch, but I thought I'd share it anyway haha!

Congratulation Rob. I have always admired you!

[graffitiheart]

Is there any commentary from daytime TV?

[Apples388]

I can't

Icon

Two letters apart

[XXL]

One of the greatest abuses in pop music is the misuse of the word “artist” as it applies to entertainers. When pop singer Britney Spears emerged from the darkest parts of her personal meltdown in 2007, she did so with a videos for her singles “Gimmie More” and “Piece of Me.” Despite being two of the most expensive productions in her career, both videos largely centered on a seemingly incoherent Spears stumbling around the small stage of a closed set. She herself was out of control, but still being prodded around by handlers despite the objections of her family. The episode revealed that – no matter how wonderfully entertaining she is – Spears is not an artist who reflects and challenges the culture around her, but a product whose entire career has been created, written, produced, shaped, and managed by RCA Records.

That same year, Madonna entered into a $120 million 10-year contract in 2007 with Live Nation to promote her concert tours, studio albums, and merchandise. At the time, it was a high-risk investment for Live Nation but a guaranteed win for Madonna, who retained creative control (and most of the profit) of her art and her products. Madonna’s Rebel Heart Tour – the last tour under her current contract with Live Nation – played the Verizon Center on Saturday evening. The two-hour show perfectly showcased how the best selling female singer of all time remains not just a great and iconic entertainer, but a relevant artist

The Rebel Heart Tour is not a greatest hits tour. As with her most-recent MDNA (2012) and Sticky & Sweet (2008) tours, the show centered on promoting her current album (Rebel Heart). While including many of her past hits, the Verizon Center show demonstrated Madonna’s capacity to continue to grow and express herself as an artist 30 years after her first national tour.

On Saturday, Madonna proved that she can even be relevant when she’s not even trying. Opening the show with the song “Iconic,” Madonna descended onto stage in a cage that opened to free the singer to walk down a staircase and into a crowd of dancers waiving crosses. Although the choreography was planned months in advance, it deliciously mirrored the jail-exit rally of anti-gay Kentucky clerk Kim Davis earlier in the week

A Rebel Heart Tour rehearsal teaser video showing Madonna’s Kim Davis-esqe concert entrance. Although the choreography was planned months in advance, Madonna’s emergence from a caged cell to an enthusiastic throng of dancers waving crosses proved she can be culturally relevant without trying

The Rebel Heart Tour feels personal despite being a large production. It previous interviews, Madonna has stated her intent to work with her production team to develop a concert which honors her past hits while she continues to move forward artistically. One of the most effective ways she did this on Saturday night was by teasing out the flamenco-inspired melodies of “La Isla Bonita” to flavor a long acoustic medley of “Dress You Up”/”Into the Groove”/”Everybody”/”Lucky Star” and continuing that acoustic aesthetic over a full performance of “Who’s That Girl.” While concert medleys of hits often fail to satisfy the audience, the crowd at the Verizon Center was clearly enraptured by the intimate set. Despite a career of being known as over-the-top, Madonna took a risk in placing the pinnacle of her concert on this low-key, low-energy set. It worked.

The entire Rebel Heart Tour show seemed tamer than previous tours. Being Madonna, there was plenty of religious iconography and sexuality. But, to her great artistic credit, they weren’t relied on as tropes. “I don’t think I created a particularly provocative show,” Madonna remarked midway through her performance. “Well, except for the nuns on stripper poles.” She was right (and the stripper poles were shaped as crucifixes). While the show itself was a visual spectacle of dancers, videos, and costumes, it still allowed plenty of room to focus of the concert on Madonna’s strong vocals.

It’s almost cliche to call Madonna an inspiration, but she is. Her career gave templates to virtually every female pop singer on the charts today. Her 1991 Truth or Dare documentary is credited for sparking reality television, and the personal fashion style of her early career defined the look of the 1980’s. As she enters the fourth decade of her commercial career, Madonna continues to inspire by demonstrating how an artist can continue to grow and express themselves well-after their success has been solidified. Madonna could have cashed in with a series of “Best of” tours years ago. Instead, with the Rebel Heart Tour, she continues to challenge herself and her artistic expression. After decades of pushing the envelope, Madonna’s greatest strength remains in how she continues to push herself.

http://brightestyoungthings.com/articles/live-dc-madonna-verizon-center.htm

Brilliant!!!