by Albert Rodriguez - SGN A&E Writer

LADY GAGA'S
'ARTRAVE: THE ARTPOP BALL'
KEY ARENA
MAY 28

Remember when Lady GaGa made headlines? Like everyday. Whether it was wearing a steak dress to an awards show, or pissing off the Catholic Church with her sinful smash 'Judas,' or giving a rousing speech in support of Gay rights at the National Equality March in Washington, DC in 2009. [Google 'Lady Gaga Gay Rights Speech' to read about, and hear and see some of her extraordinary activism and advocacy on behalf of the LGBT community.] That was then.

In recent months, the diva's career has taken a dip. Her latest effort, last year's Artpop, has been both an artistic and commercial disappointment. To date, it's sold just 685,000 copies domestically, compared to U.S. sales of 2.3 million for Born This Way. Even worse, just one of the record's three singles, 'Applause,' has cracked Billboard's top ten chart - 'Do What U Want' rose to #13, while 'G.U.Y.' peaked at #76. She didn't earn any Grammy nominations or land on any critics' year-end lists. And, that 'vomit art' stint at SWSW backfired with unpleasant reviews.

Not only did Lady GaGa take her first tumble since skyrocketing to global fame in 2009, she also became irrelevant in pop culture. The trendsetting, news-grabbing, outspoken performer suddenly became uninteresting. It all went sour, like a bad romance.

But she's a fighter, God bless her. And GaGa is plowing forward. The pop icon launched another massive world tour, 'ArtRave: The Artpop Ball,' earlier this month in Fort Lauderdale. Through November, she'll appear to audiences across the U.S. and Canada, and in Japan, South Korea, Australia, United Arab Emirates, and 18 European countries.

It lands here in Seattle next week, May 28 at Key Arena. It's the first time in seven years that Lady GaGa brings her tour to the Emerald City; her two previous stops were at the Tacoma Dome. The show will feature some of her earlier hits and selections from the new album; you can probably guess what's on the set list. Without giving anything away, I am surprised that a pair of her better-known songs have been shelved and substituted with mediocre material from Artpop.

Guaranteed at any GaGa performance are a dozen costume changes, a few inspirational speeches, creative stage props and designs, and lots of Little Monsters, avid fans of the global star who often arrive in zany attire and excitement levels that rival kids on Ritalin. Her concerts have always been fun, eccentric and well ... a ball.

GaGa is expected to roam around the arena during the show, as there are multiple stages connected by funky-looking catwalks made of Lucite, said to make them translucent. For diehard monsters, the 'Absolut Artpop Lounge' is a VIP experience that allows fans to see the Grammy winner up close, and also order drinks from an exclusive bar on the main floor, similar to what Justin Timberlake did when he came to Seattle in January.

Tickets for the Key Arena performance are still available via Ticketmaster. Two supporting acts are scheduled for the concert, Lady Starlight and Hatsune Miku, which gets underway at 7:30 p.m. Doors should open at 6:30 p.m, if not sooner.

 Share on Facebook

Share on MySpace!

    Share on Delicious

Share on StumbleUpon!