Super Bowl Halftime shows are extraordinary feats of engineering, pyrotechnics and above all else remarkable talent. Everyone from Prince to Diana Ross, Madonna to Beyonce, Michael Jackson to Bruno Mars and many more have all given epic performances that keep building to bigger shows every year.
When we learned late last year that Lady Gaga was going to be this year’s Pepsi Halftime Show entertainer no one could have guessed what she might do. She’s done it all on stage and has never failed to impress her fans whether it be her powerful vocals or her engaging stage presence and choreography. When the show started on the stadium roof with Lady Gaga singing the praises of God Bless America while hundreds of drones flew in colourful formation behind her, we knew we were in for a show stopping performance. Have a look below.
WOW. Amazing.@ladygaga's #PepsiHalftime Show! 👏#SB51 https://t.co/z9vCKRBKkC
— NFL (@NFL) February 6, 2017
As the show continued I felt underwhelmed by a few things. The stage didn’t move, none of Destiny’s children were hidden (even though we were all expecting Beyoncé to appear during Telephone) and not one hologram or guest star came out of the woodwork. It was just Lady Gaga, her dancers and for the first time in a long time a pretty tame stage. She ran threw a few hits and finished with explosive fireworks and a mic drop before vaulting into the darkness below. I sat there feeling like I expected more.
I just rewatched the whole thing again before sitting to write about it. The second viewing is inspiring and the details I missed from the first time we much more evident. From the drones to the coordinated handheld lights that effectively turned the entire audience into one large screen this show was a complicated feat of epic proportions while remaining a simple yet effective halftime show. The focus was on the music (not politics) and the movement which was more refreshing that we thought we needed. She sang strongly, covered many of the hits that have made her a household name and kept the costumes relatively demure.
Lady Gaga is much more mature performer who, despite being one of the most over the top personalities of our time, has never needed pyrotechnics and fancy costumes to hide behind. Her talent sings for itself. The crazy looks and weird stunts were part of who she was then and in many ways her distinctive look has matured a long with her. She still jumped off the roof of a stadium and flew threw the air before the biggest audience of her career. Her halftime show is a reflection of who she is now and following her has never been more exciting.
Oh, and Evenko announced this morning at that Lady Gaga will be in Montreal on Sept 4th for a stop on her Joanne World Tour. Tickets for the concert in Montreal at the Bell Centre on September 4 will go on sale February 13.
Stay tuned.
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