Lady Gaga was understandably overwhelmed with emotion this Monday, when she played the final stop of her six-month, 79-date, artRAVE: The ARTPOP Ball world tour at the Bercy Arena in Paris. Her teary moments backstage before and after the show were captured on camera during the event, which was live-streamed on Yahoo Screen in partnership with Live Nation.
Just moments before taking the stage, Lady Gaga cried as she talked to members of her team, and once the show was over, she totally let go. As soon as she took her last bow and the riser took her underneath the main stage, she burst into tears and embraced her staff. She celebrated the occasion by drinking champagne directly from the bottle and pouring it over her head, world-championship-style.
Gaga appeared sincerely grateful for the opportunity, even kissing the floor of the riser before moving to another section of the venue. Before closing the show, she told her fans how much she appreciated their support. "I hope that you always remember this time in our lives together," she said. "When we painted each other's faces and called each other 'Monster' and talked about love and art all night long." She said she didn't take the fans for granted, and added that she will continue to tour, "as long as you'll have me."
Gaga took the audience on this rollercoaster ride of emotions during her two-hour artRAVEextravaganza, which ranged from brash and racy to fun and dance-y to serene and acoustic. Her live rendition of "You and I," one of her more rock-centric songs, was among the highlights, and was one of the many songs Gaga played on her ice-crystal piano.
This stripped-down version was key in displaying that Gaga's talent transcends her flamboyant costumes and tabloid headlines. She sang with intense, heartfelt passion and offered an unexpected mix of rock and gospel that wooed and wowed the crowd.
During this section of the concert, Gaga's loyal fans showered her with gifts, throwing stuffed animals, letters, and other items onstage. Gaga picked up one of the letters and returned to her piano to read it. The fan described as a member of the LGBT community wrote about being ostracized by peers and family. "You taught me that it's OK to be different," the fan wrote. "I remember when my father was beating me to death, I couldn't think about anybody but you, Gaga."
Gaga brought the fan onstage and condemned parents who beat their kids "because they are gay," calling the act a "hate crime." Then she sang a ballad version of her acceptance anthem "Born This Way" to wild applause.
The pop star also showed off her singing chops, singing the cabaret classic "Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)," a song from Cheek to Cheek, her new jazz album with Tony Bennett. The song was originally recorded by Cher, whom Gaga channeled visually, wearing a poufy curly wig, leather jacket, and black bodysuit.
Gaga, who is also known for her upbeat singles, didn't disappoint fans. She danced during much of the show, and appeared to have the most fun when performing "Bad Romance," a song with its own signature move, a clawing gesture reminiscent of choreography from Michael Jackson's "Thriller" music video.
Gaga's artRAVE show featured two New York-based opening acts. Breedlove and Chew Fu played dance records with fun wordplay like "Sex O'Clock," and her longtime collabortator Lady Starlight delivered a engaging techno set.
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