Our reader Brian McCurdy has put together his review of the
Philadelphia shows. “As usual, Madonna inspires me,” he tells us, “so
I have a few things to say. Thank you so much for your hard work
with covering the woman we all idolize”.
Thanks to you Brian and all our readers. And here is Brian’s review.

“My confession: I absolutely loved Madonna’s Confessions Tour from start to finish. Her voice ounded amazing. Her body is ridiculously toned and she is the hottest 47-year-old woman around. The dancers, as always, were stunningly talented and we were catcalling them as they walked to their vans after the show. The band was wonderful and the quality of the music itself was fantastic. The sets, video screens and lighting were top-notch and seamlessly added much to the show.

I don’t want to do a blow-by-blow but a few things about the Philadelphia shows stood out for me. The
crowd was ridiculously appreciative and she didn’t have to berate people for not dancing. I danced most of the night. But that’s Philly for you: We have no
trouble showing enthusiasm, probably the reason why we’re pretty much the only city all seven tours have visited.

As always, Steven Klein‘s videos are gorgeous and darkly sexual and they awe me every time. Future Lovers began to play and Madonna told us to ‘Forget your life/ Forget your problems/ Come with me.’ I surrendered completely. I almost keeled over when she cracked the riding crop in time with the music. The opening was nothing short of eye-popping.

‘Like a Virgin‘ encapsulated part of what I love about that woman: She not only survives a potentially fatal accident and makes it back to the dance floor in no time but incorporates the whole incident into her show. Love it.

I was worried about the effect that the cross would have on ‘Live to Tell‘, that it would be too much, but it made sense in the context of the show. I focused mainly on Madonna’s gorgeous voice, which was emotional and belted out the powerful lyrics. The entire song gave me a full-body chill. I was so thrilled and moved at finally hearing her sing my favorite song with that voice that has become so much more refined since 1986. It made me realize something: The videos and spectacles are wonderful but behind all that, we can’t forget the power of the songs themselves. In the end, it’s the songs themselves that touch me and the rest is nice but ultimately, decoration.

While I loved the whole show, I thought the first two acts were missing something, but from the explosive ‘Like It or Not‘ to the end, the pace did not let up.
I absolutely loved the rock section, even more than I expected to. Madonna almost tore the roof off the Wachovia Center during ‘I Love New York, Ray of Light‘ and ‘Let It Will Be‘. I think ‘Ray of Light’ was my favorite and my voice really started to give out during this song. ‘Drowned World‘ and a gorgeously arranged ‘Paradise‘ reminded everyone that Madonna can indeed sing the hell out of her songs.

I went ballistic during ‘Music‘ and pairing it with ‘Disco Inferno‘ was genius. The sight of Madonna dancing at the end of the catwalk in the white suit was an instantly iconic moment. I danced all through the last section and sang every word. I realized last night that I sing along partially because I can’t help it and partially because I want to show off that I know every word by heart.

I continue to realize something else every time I see Madonna live. After 20-plus years, some artists might coast on their fame and phone in a performance. But we are so lucky to have this woman still working her ass off, working harder than anyone. When she sings ‘I’m never gonna stop‘, I believe every word.”

Brian