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EAST RUTHERFORD - October 4 - PRESS Reports/Reviews/Pics


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Asbury Park Press, NJ

It's a Madonna nation

Test your knowledge with our pop quiz

By CHRIS JORDAN • Gannett New Jersey • October 3, 2008

Love her or hate her, you can't ignore Madonna. She has transcended music over the last 25 years to become a true pop-culture icon, seemingly drawing attention for everying she does, be it adopting a child from Malawi under questionable circumstances to studying Kabbalah, an off-shoot of Judaism.

Now Madonna comes to the Izod Center in East Rutherford Saturday night to kick off the U.S. leg of her "Sticky and Sweet Tour." She then heads across the river for four shows at Madison Square Garden in New York City, starting Monday, Oct. 6. Want more? She hits Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City on Nov. 22.

The tour has already garnered controversy in Europe, where Madonna juxtaposed images of John McCain and Hitler. But that's the norm for Ms. Ciccone, who has been pushing cultural buttons for her entire career.

Anyway, we offer our Madonna pop (culture) quiz to test you, dear reader, on how up you are on the Material Girl.

Score results: 0-3 Madonna wannabe; 4-6 Madonna backup dancer; 7-9 Madonna record producer with bedroom privileges; 10 Madonna wants to adopt you.

1. What did Madonna inject singer Justin Timberlake with prior to their recording session for "Hard Candy"?

A. Testosterone

B. B-12

C. Adrenaline

D. A ray of light

2. Madonna portrayed this Latin American leader in a 1996 film.

A. Michelle Bachelet

B. Eva Peron

C. Celia Cruz

D. Manuel Noriega

3. This actor appeared as Jesus in Madonna's "Like A Prayer" video.

A. Denzel Washington

B. Donnell Rawlings

C. Leon

D. Redd Foxx

4. What group took offense to Madonna's 1986 single, "Papa Don't Preach"?

A. Mothers Against Drunk Driving

B. Conservative religious groups

C. Planned parenthood

D. Music critics

5. Which New York Yankee is a "spiritual soulmate" to Madonna?

A. Hideki Matsui

B. Derek Jeter

C. Alex Rodriguez

D. Yogi Berra

6. Former Madonna remixer and collaborator Shep Pettibone owns what Asbury Park nightclub?

A. The Stone Pony

B. Asbury Lanes

C. Paradise

D. Mrs. Jays Beer Garden

7. What did Madonna say to the taxi driver when she first arrived in New York City?

A. "Take me to the nearest yoga studio."

B. "Do you produce records when you're not driving a cab?"

C. "Take me to the middle of everything."

D. "What are you doing when you get off your shift?"

8. Who did Madonna dedicate "Like a Virgin" to at a recent concert in Rome?

A. Guy Ritchie

B. The Pope

C. Rabbi Philip Berg

D. John McCain

9. Which celebrity has Madonna NOT been romantically linked or married to?

A. George Michael

B. Sean Penn

C. Jellybean Benitez

D. Dennis Rodman

10. What was the name of Madonna's late-'70s New York City rock band?

A. The New York Dolls

B. Ciccone Youth

C. Breakfast Club

D. The Virgin Suicides

Answers: 1. B; 2. B; 3. C; 4. B; 5. C 6. C; 7. C; 8. B; 9. A; 10. C.

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Guest BytheBay
3. This actor appeared as Jesus in Madonna's "Like A Prayer" video.

A. Denzel Washington

B. Donnell Rawlings

C. Leon

D. Redd Foxx

:lmao::lmao:

BIRTHDAY%2012-09-07%20REDD%20FOXX.jpg

Edited by BytheBay
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2. Madonna portrayed this Latin American leader in a 1996 film.

A. Michelle Bachelet

B. Eva Peron

C. Celia Cruz

D. Manuel Noriega

:lol: Celia is more of a leader in LatAm than anyone else!

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7. What did Madonna say to the taxi driver when she first arrived in New York City?

A. "Take me to the nearest yoga studio."

B. "Do you produce records when you're not driving a cab?"

C. "Take me to the middle of everything."

D. "What are you doing when you get off your shift?"

:chuckle:

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Guest boytoyville

Her first arena date! I bet they take those M's pf the stage although it would be really cool if they kept them!

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Jam! Showbiz, Canada

Madonna kicks off North American tour

By JANE STEVENSON -- Sun Media

Concert Review: Madonna

East Rutherford, N.J. - October 4, 2008

1zp36lz.jpg

Madonna performs during a stop on her Sticky & Sweet tour Saturday, Oct. 4, 2008, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Mel Evans)

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - Madonna has become the poster girl for aging gracefully in the youth-oriented world of pop music.

Still at the height of her performing powers at the age of 50, The Material Girl kicked off the North American leg of her Sticky and Sweet Tour in front of a sold-out crowd at IZOD Arena on Saturday night - including her famous pal Rosie O'Donnell visibly seated near the front - with an action-packed, hi-tech, and yes, briefly political two-hour show that took a few jabs at Republicans John McCain and Sarah Palin.

Frankly, it was hard to take your eyes off Madonna's bulging biceps, despite such distractions as various raising platforms and slick-looking, moving video screens, and if she didn't always successfully reinvent her older tunes, the nine new songs represented from her latest urban-influenced album, Hard Candy, were among the best offerings of the night.

Opening dramatically with the new tune, Candy Shop, Madge first appeared on a throne, holding a cane, seemingly announcing The Queen of Pop isn't going anywhere except for a ride in a vintage white convertible that was eventually driven onto the stage.

Backed by a seven piece band, including Montrealer Ric'key Pageot on keyboards, two backup singers and various dancers, Madonna expertly moved around her impressive stage which fanned out to include a long catwalk with a conveyor belt to a smaller circular stage in the centre of the floor where she spent a lot of her time getting closer to the fans.

The strong opener was followed by another catchy new tune, Beat Goes On, with her Hard Candy collaborators Pharrell Williams and Kanye West appearing via video, as did Justin Timberlake and Timbaland (4 Minutes) later in the evening.

It was when she began what would be a trend of reinventing older songs, starting with Human Nature, featuring Britney Spears trapped in an elevator on video, and Madonna on electric guitar, that the concert faltered slightly.

The energy flagged until the next song, Vogue, which was reconfigured to include the horns from 4 Minutes, and made sexy by the presence of four scantily clad female dancers in black bobbed wigs and hardly any clothes.

"Some people are still sitting down," Madonna gently scolded about half-way through the show. "I'm not sitting down - fair is fair."

Also sadly missing their original arrangements were Get Into The Groove, which featured a youthful Madonna both twirling around a stripper pole and skipping rope, and Borderline and Ray Of Light, both of which became rock songs with Madge on electric guitar.

Still, there were some nice segues like two male dancers dressed as boxers and actually fighting in a ring as Die Another Die played in a video version and downright striking versions of new songs like Heartbeat, She's Not Me - with Madonna poking fun at her various incarnations including the bride from Like A Virgin and the cone-bra wearing provocateur - Spanish Lesson, Miles Away, 4 Minutes, Give It 2 Me, and the old chestnut Like A Prayer.

"It's good to be in America, I'm so glad to be back," sang Madonna, who started her latest tour in Europe with a stadium show in Cardiff, Wales, on Aug. 23.

Not known for her ballads, she also proved to be incredibly adept at the two in her set list, even if she couldn't hit the high notes during an impromptu version of the requested song, Open Your Heart.

First up was Devil Wouldn't Recognize You, with Madge decked out in a black cape and lying on top of a piano while cool-looking water imagery was projected on circular video screens enveloping her.

That was later followed by a Romanian gypsy folk band version of the Evita song, You Must Love Me, an arrangement that also strengthened the more uptempo La Isla Bonita.

The now famous Get Stupid video segue, which included images of Hitler and John McCain alongside those of Barack Obama and Nelson Mandela, was trotted out again by Madonna, who actually called out Palin by name several times as her show wound down.

"This is the sound of Sarah Palin's husband snowmobile when it won't start," she said producing guitar feedback.

Madonna has two shows at Toronto's Air Canada Centre on Oct. 18-19, Montreal's Bell Centre on Oct. 22-23 and Vancouver's BC Place Stadium for her first-ever show there on Oct. 30.

SET LIST:

Here's what Madonna played (* denotes album from her new album, Hard Candy):

Candyshop *

Beat Goes On *

Human Nature

Vogue

Die Another Day (Video Version)

Get Into The Groove

Heart Beat *

Borderline

She's Not Me *

Music

Rain Video Segue

Devil Wouldn't Recognize You *

Spanish Lesson *

Miles Away *

La Isla Bonita/Lela Pala Tute

Doli Doli

You Must Love Me

4 Minutes *

Like A Prayer

Ray Of Light

Open Your Heart (snippet only)

Hung Up

Give It 2 Me *

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Jam! Showbiz, Canada

Madonna kicks off North American tour

Not known for her ballads, she also proved to be incredibly adept at the two in her set list, even if she couldn't hit the high notes during an impromptu version of the requested song, Open Your Heart.

first of all,thanks dor posting it.

OK, she´s not known or her ballads,well, but she couldn´t sing OYH???

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Guest Danny86

With new concert tour, Madonna puts new spin on her old classics

http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/m...puts_new_s.html

Madonna broke another convention at the first U.S. date of her Sticky and Sweet tour, held at the Izod Center in the Meadowlands Saturday night.

After a career spent sneering at the stricter rules of religion, sex and gender, the star has a fresh foe in her sights - age.

Seven weeks after qualifying for her AARP card, the 50-year-old put on a show that could have winded the most sinewy of teens. For nearly two hours, Madonna commanded the stage - first, quite literally, by entering on a throne - then by throwing her rigorously toned body through tricky dance moves, including leg splits, crotch grinds and even a double Dutch jump rope drill.

The sight had to inspire admiration, even if it did nothing for the cause of spontaneity and even less for the realm of sensuality. Then again, Madonna's shows have never had much use for such things. They're multimedia workouts, geared more to awe - or alarm - than charm.

Luckily, the staging of the show has enough razzle-dazzle to excite. And the material that dominated had enough fury in the beats and fluidity in the melodies to make up for any of the night's self-consciousness or rigidity.

Half the show's repertoire drew from the new "Hard Candy" CD, which ranks as Madonna's most fun, fleet and danceable work since her very first one.

She started right out with a newbie, "Candy Shop," and from there kept the momentum going with consistently fresh arrangements of even the oldest songs. The yearning pop ballad "Borderline" became a punk pop anthem, sounding more like something The Stooges would thrash out. "Vogue" earned a new electro-clash boost. And for some reason "La Isla Bonita" got an enjoyably weird Eastern European arrangement.

Nearly all the music swung in a more punishing direction than on its album, and Madonna allowed only one true ballad, "You Must Love Me," which had its own form of overstatement in her pleading vocal.

The video followed the tough theme, with brutal images even of candy canes. In one of the few more sprightly passages, Madonna dipped back to her 1980s roots, using a playful backdrop of Keith Herring electric babies. Thankfully, she had just one political moment, the now infamous video montage that juxtaposes John McCain with images of fascist leaders and Barack Obama with peace activists. Maybe it would have been more effective if the music behind it didn't endlessly repeat the phrase "Get Stupid."

The clumsiness of it all only threw into even higher relief the welcome lack of pretension in the rest. Mainly Madonna aimed to push her true forte - cutting-edge dance music. She did so effectively enough to make the audience dance nearly as hard, and as youthfully, as she did.

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Guest Danny86

MATERIAL MOM'S NJ CONCERT IS MADGE-IC

http://www.nypost.com/seven/10052008/news/...e_ic_132225.htm

With her bride-of-Skeletor physique, a songbook of her most popular tunes and some pretty spectacular dance routines, last night Madonna lived up to her reputation as the queen of pop.

At the Meadowlands, the Material Girl showed off her muscles in an array of titillating costumes such as short-shorts and transparent leotards during the two-hour hits show.

Her Madgesty came on hard and fast from the show opener "Candy Shop" (more about movement and visuals than voice) through the hip-hop influenced "Beat Goes On" and the dance classic "Vogue," whipping the crowd into a frenzy.

The Material Mom made her big political statement of the evening as concert-goers cheered and danced through "Get Stupid" late in the set, showing an image of John McCain in a video along side Adolf Hitler. Barack Obama fared slightly better, appearing with Gandhi and Mother Teresa.

Madonna was our lady of perpetual motion and it worked with the fast dance-powered arrangements. The production was terrific entertainment with well-thought-out dance routines that showed off Madonna's ability to move to the music she makes.

She took a couple of breathers with ballads such as "You Must Love Me," from "Evita," and "Rain"/"The Devil Wouldn't Recognize You," from her current CD, "Hard Candy," but the big, bad booty shakers were what propelled this show.

Songs such as "Get Into the Groove," in which Madonna jump roped in red gym pants; "Music," in which she conjured her club appeal, and the Latin influenced staccato "Spanish Lesson," in which she twirled in a sheer black and DayGlo hippie girl mini dress moved the crowd.

Madonna has the knack for being erotic without getting slutty. This may be the best tour she's ever stitched together.

Madonna continues with performances tomorrow, Tuesday, Oct. 12 and 13 at Madison Square Garden.

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Guest Danny86

Madonna's music ages gracefully as tour hits USA

http://www.usatoday.com/life/music/news/20...ne_N.htm?csp=34

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — 50 is the new 25. Or at least, that's what Madonna seemed intent on proving at her first U.S. concert since reaching that half-century milestone.

Kicking off the U.S. leg of her Sticky & Sweet tour at the Izod Center, the pop icon exhibited the energy, not to mention the muscle tone, of a woman half her age during a 23-song set that chronicled her storied career, from '80s hits to songs from this year's release Hard Candy.

Intent to give herself and her fans a musical workout, as well, Madonna put a slightly different spin on familiar tunes. As she has on recent tours, the singer played guitar on several numbers, lending a garage-rock edge to Borderline and Hung Up.

Into the Groove was presented as a pumping club mix, with Madonna jumping rope to emphasize its aerobic intensity. By that point, she had changed from a black-bustier-and-boots ensemble to a sportier but similarly revealing number set off by red gym shorts and black socks that stretched up to her gravity-defying thighs.

Audience members were impressed, and titillated. "If I were a lesbian, I would go for her," said Mary Beth Murdza, 45, a resident of Wall Township who added, "I don't think I've missed one of Madonna's tours."

Manhattan newcomer Barry Sherman, 29, came dressed in fishnet and spandex in homage to his idol. In his old house in Vermont, he added, "One of the bedrooms is a shrine to Madonna."

Madonna herself paid tribute to world music and different cultures throughout the evening. Devil Wouldn't Recognize Me had an Asian flavor, underscored by Japanese dancers, and was followed by a segment that drew on Latin influences and included Rumanian gypsy musicians, including the songs La Isla Bonita, Miles Away and, from Evita, the ballad You Must Love Me.

The visuals were similarly exotic and often stunning, from an anime-inspired montage to footage of various foreign landscapes and people. Ray of Light and Like A Prayer were accompanied by spiritual imagery, with quotations from the Bible floating across the screen.

Madonna's recent collaborators Kanye West, Pharrell Williams and Justin Timberlake popped up on video, as did Britney Spears, who filmed a special black-and-white clip as a backdrop for a frenzied Human Nature.

An already controversial segment showed famous and infamous figures ranging from Adolf Hitler and Kim Jong Il to Martin Luther King Jr., the Dalai Lama and John Lennon. Current presidential candidates John McCain and Barack Obama were also included, McCain in closer proximity to some more patently villainous types and Obama nearer to those viewed more favorably, who also included Mother Teresa and Bono.

Madonna did not patently link McCain to any of the ogres, or verbally attack the Republican contender. She did, however, have a few choice words for his running mate. "Sarah Palin can't come to this party," she declared, after leading the audience in a festive a cappella version of Open Your Heart. "She is not in my show. She will never be in my show."

She reinforced that message, humorously, by imitating "the sound of Sarah Palin's husband's snowmobile when it won't start" with a loud, purposefully irritating burst of guitar.

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Guest Danny86

Amazing review! :wow:

Madonna gives fans a treat with "Sticky & Sweet"

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081005/ap_en_...oncert_review_1

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - In a show defined by throbbing dance music, tight choreography, spectacular stage sets and stunning visuals, perhaps the most stirring moment during the kickoff concert to Madonna's "Sticky & Sweet" tour came when the Material Girl stood onstage with just her guitar and a few musicians for an acoustic set.

As she sang the emotional song from her movie "Evita," Madonna couldn't help but wink and smile at the roaring sold-out crowd as she sang the song's main refrain and title: "You must love me."

Maybe that's because she knew she was right. Even the superstar's most cynical critics couldn't walk away from her two-hour extravaganza at the Izod Center on Saturday night without being thoroughly wowed. It was not only the spectacle of the concert, but the performer herself, as she reasserted her musical relevance and dominance in her 25th year in the spotlight.

Madonna is not the world's most gifted singer or dancer or even musician, but she may be its greatest performer. From the moment she first appeared on stage, looking taut and chiseled in a black bra and shorts with a mesh layer overlay, she turned the arena into a massive dance club and a nonstop party. The zooming "Candy Shop," off her most recent CD "Hard Candy," set it off as Madonna strutted onstage flanked by an army of dancers. While they may have executed the show's most intricate dance moves, the ever-fit Madonna dazzled on her own with sinewy steps that belied her AARP-status.

Though the show's first moments were devoted to her new album, it didn't take long for her to seamlessly groove back in time, performing one of her '90s gems, "Human Nature." The already funky, synthesized tune got an even funkier update, as Madonna utilized the vocoder trend with her background vocals. The unapologetic anthem was highlighted by a video that showed Madonna being watched by a security camera in an elevator; as the song went on, Britney Spears' image intertwined with her blonde musical mentor, looking frightened and frail under the camera's lens before striking a decidedly confident pose at the song's end.

It's a testament to Madonna's musical chops that her new music blended so expertly with some of her greatest hits: Elements of "4 Minutes" were mashed up with "Vogue" for a flashback that managed to be both classic and cutting edge. While she sang many of her classics, such as "Like a Prayer," "La Isla Bonita," and "Ray of Life," those moments weren't relegated to short renditions during the retrospective medley part of the show, like many veterans do. They were given full attention with colorful, dazzling displays and new arrangements that made them seem as exciting and fresh as when they first made their debut. "Get Into the Groove" was re-imagined with the help of a DJ, a double-Dutch playing Madonna and cartoons by the late Keith Haring. During one of her many guitar-playing moments, she gave a rocked out performance of "Borderline" to the feverishly energetic crowd.

While the "Sweet & Sticky" tour would have been a triumph in any year, it was particularly impressive coming off her somewhat lackluster "Confessions" two years ago, which seemed more like a labored, carefully designed exercise than a joyful performance.

Not so this time around. Instead of performing at the crowd, she was performing for and with them, bringing them into her world with warmth and appreciation. Even when she scolded the few in the audience who weren't on their feet with unprintable language, she was jovial and endearing.

Jabs at Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin — "Sarah Palin is not in my show!" were not daggers, and she even added, "Nothing personal." And the one preachy moment — in which she implored the audience to "save the world" through a series of video images that interspersed the world's atrocities with her ideas hopeful images, including Democratic candidate Barack Obama — wasn't as over the top as might be expected (with the exception of the interloping of video of Republican candidate John McCain in with world dictators and Adolph Hitler).

With her induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame this year and her 50th birthday, it would have been easy for Madonna to turn her latest tour into some kind of nostalgia show. It probably would have been an enjoyable experience nonetheless.

But then again, it wouldn't have been Madonna — the consummate artist who always stretches the limits, exploring new ideas to stay relevant. On Saturday, she proved to be more than relevant — she's still music premier performer.

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While she sang many of her classics, such as "Like a Prayer," "La Isla Bonita," and "Ray of Life," those moments weren't relegated to short renditions during the retrospective medley part of the show, like many veterans do.

Oh no you DIDN'T! Is that a jab at JANICE? :1251:

Outstanding review indeed!

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Why does every review have to mention her age. It pisses me the hell off. Add another big problem to USA

AGEISM....

Its like everyone expects you to roll over and play doggie once you turn 40... GRRR since im only 2 years from that peak...

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Guest Pud Whacker
Why does every review have to mention her age. It pisses me the hell off. Add another big problem to USA

AGEISM....

Its like everyone expects you to roll over and play doggie once you turn 40... GRRR since im only 2 years from that peak...

they should be reviewing hte age of her dead beat fans and how theyre between the ages of 14-60 and90% of them have no energy!!! :rotfl:

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