Confessions Tour 2006

Rating:	★★★★
Category:	Music
Genre:	Pop
Artist:	Madonna

Madonna hit Vegas this weekend with her new Confessions Tour. If you have never seen Madonna perform before, you need to know that her shows are more than just a concert. Her shows are a theatrical adventure consisting of elaborate sets, costume changes, dancers and more. The Confessions Tour was no different.

The theme, at least for the first half of the show, was, well, equestrian. There were images of horses on the huge video screens and the dancers mimicked horses galloping as they pranced around the stage. At one point Madonna even straddled a floating horse saddle, mounted on a pole, where she demonstrated her pole dancing skills while singing 'Like a Virgin'.

The music sounded perfect. There was occasional feedback ringing, but that was easily masked by the techno music playing.

If you haven't already heard of the controversial segment of the show, it featured Madonna strapped up on a huge cross. She sang 'Live to Tell' from this position and it was actually quite amazing visually. Her voice was in great shape (possibly due to the fact that she requires the air conditioning to be turned off during her show- and it did get a bit warm in there).

The many costume changes gave chances for the amazing dancers to showcase their talents. We didn't even mind that Madonna was absent from the stage because we were so transfixed on the dancers. They were jumping, leaping, hanging from the multi tiered stages.

Madonna has so many hits that a long time fan might be disappointed they didn't hear more of their favorites, but after playing most of the new album, and a track or two from each of her dozen or so albums, there wouldn't be time for all the hits. It would have been a 10 hour show. As it was, it was a good 2 hours straight.

There was a terrific 70's disco segment where the dancers all came out on roller skates, the disco ball hanging and Madonna and her two background singers in John Travolta 'Saturday Night Fever' white suits.

Out of a page from the U2 concert ritual, there was a segment where the video screen displayed images and the words 'don't speak' and 'don't talk' flashed. There were numbers counting up (numbers we eventually were told were the number of children left orphaned by AIDs), and video of various political and government officials ranging from Rumsfeld to Hitler to G. W. Bush. I think she was trying to make a point, but truthfully, it wasn't specific enough for me to actually understand what point she was trying to convey, it seemed all over the place and possibly just there to be political. Could have been just me....

One thing I want to note- Madonna is fit. It's probably the yoga, but for 47, she is in better shape than I will ever be. She is extremely flexible (see earlier pole dancing reference), and all over the dance floor, uh, I mean stage.

The show closed with 'Hung Up' and balloons fell from the rafters.

I would recommend this show if you don't mind the high ticket prices (which basically would put you in the 'Big Madonna Fan' category anyway and you will love it no matter what).