“I’m about to share the story of my life with you,” Madonna said to her Moody Center audience on Sunday night. When Madonna last visited the Forty Acres nearly 40 years ago, the singer had only released two albums, but was already a force in pop music. In 1985, Daily Texan reporter Mary Oldham wrote “Let’s face it: Madonna is here to stay” and she couldn’t have been more on the nose.
With a runtime of over two hours, Madonna’s concert took audiences on a journey that followed her career from when she first moved to New York with just $35 dollars to her name to the stardom she’s known for today.
The show began with an introduction from Bob the Drag Queen, who walked through the crowd detailing Madonna’s career and even interacting with some of the audience members. Additionally, drag queen Trixie Mattel appeared during the catwalk section of “Vogue” with Madonna.
The show also featured some more personal touches from throughout the pop icon’s life and career. During the first act of the show, Madonna paid tribute to victims of the AIDS epidemic including Eazy-E and Freddie Mercury.
Additionally, two of her children, David Banda and Mercy Jones, joined her onstage while she talked about how she always longed for a relationship with her own mother, who passed away when the singer was just five years old. Another touching moment from the show came in the form of a tribute paid to Michael Jackson in which silhouettes of the singers danced together though a medley of “Billie Jean” and “Like a Virgin” to close out the show.
Madonna’s performance during the show was slightly affected by the late start time of 10:30 p.m., about an hour after the opener, Honey Dijon, finished her set. This is reportedly an ongoing issue faced by Madonna’s audiences, and echoes statements provided earlier in the year in a lawsuit against her. Additionally, the arena felt noticeably warm and a pyrotechnic sequence during the show made the venue even hotter.
The Celebration tour stop didn’t shy away from showcasing some of the elements of Madonna’s career that have made for big controversies. The show was incredibly sexual, featuring several scenes of the singer being groped and engaging in lewd acts onstage. Additionally, the show displayed constant incorporation of religious imagery and nudity, a theme that has caused Madonna to be put under the spotlight many times in her career.
In addition to her advocacy for sexual liberation, LGBTQ+ rights and anti-racism even while on tour, Madonna is one of the greatest American entertainers of all time in terms of musical catalog, stage presence and longevity.
