Thanks to M-Tribe contributor Richard for this review of Madonna’s second show at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, California.

“I love you!”
“I love you!”
That’s what Madonna said during the final moments of “Hung Up” which perfectly sums up the relationship both she and the sold-out (not to mention incredibly loud crowd) at HP Pavilion in San Jose, CA.
I was at both San Jose shows and the big difference Wednesday night was that Madonna smiled alot more, rarely asked the audience to get louder and overall seemed to be having a better time. Right after “Like a Virgin” she commented, “So far, so good!” and just like Tuesday night, we, the audience didn’t let up one bit.

I was sitting in Section 117 that gave the right side view of the stage and immediately noticed a rather large guy in the front row with a black T-Shirt in big white letters “Front Row Bitch“. I knew that it would be inevitable that Madonna would notice and she pointed out the dude during, “I love New York“. Later on, before singing “Substitute for Love” she said “You know you’re having a good time when your out of breath. You guys have been great. Thanks and thank you ‘Front Row Bitch’.”

There was a bit a drama during “Like It Or Not” when one of the golden ballons from the ceiling accidently got loose and landed on the right side of Madonna’s chair. She didn’t seem to acknowledge it and kept on performing.

The San Francisco Bay Area has long been one of Madonna’s most fanatic, loyal and energetic fan bases and Wednesday night in San Jose prove that. Not once during “Hung Up” when she asked the crowd to sing “Time goes by so slowly” did she ever have to have say “louder”. She just kept commenting “Very good!” Hey, what can I say; the San Francisco Bay Area kicks ass!
Madonna had incredible interaction with the crowd both nights and loved the noisy responses, something that was lost on Joel Selvin, so-called music critic of the San Francisco Chronicle who said that Madonna seemed tired of her act. (Anyone in the Bay Area knows that the Chronicle has always had the dumbest, most inept critics be it movies or music).

The tour is barely two weeks old and will run well into September, but it will be hard to match the energy and love Madonna got from the Bay Area Tuesday and Wednesday nights.

It is midnight as I write this and I’m still full of energy. Man, it will be hard to sleep tonight and I’m not complaining. Thaks a million Madonna!

Richard Motroni