MadonnaTribe’s reader Hamilton is just back from Worcester, after seeing Madonna’s Re-invention tour last night.
He sent us a nice and interesting review that you can continue reading by clicking on the Full Article option below.

WORCESTER JUNE 27th 2004

I spent two nights in Worcester, Ma and saw her first show on Sunday night at the Centrum Centre. I got there at about 7:00 p.m. and the crowd was lining up to get in the entrances. In one of the side entrances, the security guards were checking every one, especially girls’ purses, waving the hand-held metal detectors and retrieving anything that was not allowed in.

They had already confiscated a few disposable cameras from fans, and there was a guy yelling out loud, “there are no cameras allowed inside, so if you have any cameras take them back to your hotel or you will not be allowed in.” This got me nervous, for I had my zoom camera in my pocket and I was about to turn around and take it back to the hotel. So I stood there and looked from the sidelines while they checked the fans getting in, and I couldn’t believe it. I was devastated and petrified. Then I went to the main box office entrance and looked around for a while.

It was almost 7:40 and the lines were still long, so they decided to open more doors with a lady security guard in front of the door just waving the hand-held metal detectors. So I took the chance to go in because she wasn’t checking anything and snuck my camera in. She didn’t check my pockets or anything else.

I was in section 103, on the lower level looking directly at the stage, and I thought our seats provided one of the best views of the stage as we were looking straight on. We could see almost everything, the huge screens and the catwalk hanging from atop of the stage.

Anyway, it was 8 p.m. and nothing was happening. Seats were still empty and I saw people moving about in their sections. At 8:30 still more people were moving about and the arena was getting filled more and more. I just couldn’t believe it. I was getting impatient, and I never expected it to be this late. And then at about 8:40 the lights began to dim and the arena went dark. Finally, the wait was over. People were screaming their lungs out, and I could feel my heartbeat and the sweat dripping from the sides of my face. Suddenly, the screens lit up and the images popped up and the stunning THE BEAST WITHIN was shown. Brilliantly executed, weirdly edited, and disturbingly amazed, it was the most chilling moment I have ever experienced in a concert. This was absolutely out of the ordinary and one of the best pieces I have seen put together. In the beginning , while the main screen is seen behind the two that move from side to side, it provides the best clarity of the three. And this is where everything is displayed on.

After THE BEAST WITHIN was over, she was lifted up from underneath the stage and the music to VOGUE started. This was choreography heavy but nothing compared to her performance of the BLOND AMBITION TOUR, as a matter of fact it seemed slower to me with all the Yoga moves and poses and great choreography. Whether she sang this number live or not, it was really difficult to discern. Though I have to say, she sounded better than ever on all of the songs she sang.

The crowd was going wild on the all of the songs, and from what I could see in front of me, people were dancing and bouncing in their seats especially to the old-time favorites like BURNING UP, MATERIAL GIRL, EXPRESS YOURSELF.

AMERICAN LIFE was fantastic, especially when she gets up on the catwalk and dances and sings to the crowd. During HANKY PANKY and DEEPER AND DEEPER, which I thought had more substance and was more sensual, I saw a few people sitting down and then they got up the second they heard DIE ANOTHER DAY. If you have heard how she sounded in EVITA, then I think she sounded even better when she sang LAMENT sitting down strapped to an electric chair, every note delivered to its utmost clarity and one could feel the sadness in her voice, definitely flawless.

The video for BEDTIME STORY (a definite Madonna must-have for your collection) is visually stunning and showed her all in white singing and dancing to the remixed version of the original, with a white horse fiercely running through these white hills. There were parts of the video choreographed in a white cubicle as if she were trapped in there, which reminded me of the HUMAN NATURE VIDEO. While the video is being shown, trapeze artists appeared to be flowing in air to the beat of the song.

NOTHING FAILS and DON’T TELL ME led to the ever-so-popular LIKE A PRAYER, as this seemed to be the crowd’s favorite song of the night when she stopped and told everyone to put their hands up and sing along. Surprisingly, the guitar driven MOTHER AND FATHER was mixed in with INTERVENTION and I have to giver her credit for this song. It’s got to be one of the most difficult songs to perform, especially when you’re strumming the guitar. But she pulled it through, even the higher notes, and it couldn’t have been any better. Before she sang MOTHER AND FATHER, she told the crowd “I have a secret to tell you,” and the crowd screamed as they probably thought it was about something else or another song, for that matter “SECRET“, but unfortunately it was not.
IMAGINE was another chilling part of the show, which she tells the crowd that she didn’t write this song, but she decided to sing it because of what is going on in the world right now.

One of the most stunning performances of the night, in my opinion, is the bagpipe and drum performance just before GET INTO THE GROOVE. I was just amazed at this for it was something that one doesn’t hear every day, and I never thought I would be able to appreciate something like this. The bagpiper and the drummers, dressed in white tank tops and knee-length kilts played beautifully, and the music which was written especially for the show was something that I have never heard before but I found it to be pleasantly incorporated within the show, and it worked for INTO THE GROOVE. For PAPA DON’T PREACH she wore the KABALLISTS DO IT BETTER black t-shirt, and she dedicated CRAZY FOR YOU to all her fans who have stuck with her for 20 years. After she was done with this song, she took off the t-shirt and threw it to the fans in the first rows to the left of the stage.

MUSIC And HOLIDAY were the last two songs and the fun part of the show. The most exciting moment during music is when she gets into the stage, doing this sort of a lift up move and dancing her butt off. During these last two songs there are a lot of dancing and the crowd got on their feet nonstop, bouncing and clapping, whistling, and gyrating to the beat of the club thumping hits. She once again got on the catwalk during HOLIDAY, and this time she danced there for a long time and waved to the crowd. Suddenly, there was confetti exploded all over the arena and it was like being in carnival in Rio more than a club. Thus it was the most exciting part of the night, and everyone knew that the show was over. At the end, the words “RE-INVENT YOURSELF” appeared on the screen and the arena was lighted up again, and we were back to where we started. What I had been waiting for two months seemed like seconds to me, and I would go home to my hotel still wanting more. More MADONNA, more songs, more anything…..MADONNA. She really proved there’s no one like her, and nobody does it better than she.

I have to say this is the best tour I have seen, and if you compare it to the DROWNED WORLD TOUR there are many differences, but THE RE-INVENTION TOUR is by far better due to the fact she sings more of her old hits and the mood is much more exciting than the dark DROWNED WORLD TOUR.
It’s definitely a must-see even if you’re not a MADONNA fan, and you will be visually and audibly amazed.

On the way home to my hotel, it dawned on me why she addressed the crowd with “HELLO BOSTON.” I realized that most of these people who came to see her were Bostonians and probably a few from the surrounding states. But wherever they were from, I think they were the loudest and best energetic crowd than any of her other tours. No wonder she interacted with the crowd every time and gave them her all.

HAMILTON