Thanks to M-Tribe reader Fred for this report of his Madonna-experience in Fresno.

“I was worried about seeing Madonna in Fresno because, like many others, I wondered: “Why Fresno?” (when the tour cities were announced).

With cows, raisins, and baseball as Fresno’s major exports, I was afraid that the Fresno audience might not “get” this amazing toure de force.

Since I had already seen the show twice in LA at The Forum, I wanted my “Confessions” tour experience to heighten, not diminish. During “Drowned World” tour in 2001, I had a similar experience where I went to see a East Rutherford show in New Jersey after seeing the show at Madison Square Garden the previous week. Then, Madonna seemed ticked-off that the Jersey audience was quite lack-luster to her previous NYC gigs.
I thought, for sure, Fresno was going to be a similar experience.

I was dead wrong.

The Fresno shows ( yes, I went to both as a good Madonna fan should) were on fire!

Gone was the pretension found at the LA shows where the spectators seemed to be waiting for Madonna to screw up or do something that did not measure up to previous shows. Instead, at Fresno, concert go-ers were whole heartedly enthusiastic; donning Boy Toy garb and Madonna T-shirts galore.

I joked with a friend afterwards saying: “At the LA shows, I saw about 2-3 people dressed like Madonna and at the Fresno shows I saw 2-3 people that were not dressed-up like Madonna!!”.

The audience were always on their feet with their hands in the air and the butts grooving. Even Madonna seemed very shockingly pleased with the crowd as she yelled out: “This isn’t Fresno, this is Fres-YES!”

On the second evening, she stopped before “Drowned World” and explained that she was feeling quite crappy that day and did not want to perform but that the energy of the people in Fresno made her “feel like (she) was high!”.

I sat on the floor both nights and got quite close to Mrs. Ritchie. I had spent the day with friends watching previous tours (“Who’s That Girl” and “Blond Ambition“) and as I looked into her eyes these past nights I could not help but think:
“She is more beautiful, more talented, more kind, and more compelling than she was twenty years ago.”

I can not wait for the NEXT twenty!!!”

Fred Feizollahi
Irvine, CA.