Review & setlist: Madonna brings Boston fans on a wild, nostalgic ride

Madonna likes to perform late, and opening night of her “Celebration Tour” at TD Garden in Boston was no exception.

The Material Girl didn’t take the stage until 10:15 p.m. But the audience, which waited four months (the Boston leg of the tour was originally scheduled for Aug. 30 and 31 before a health scare pushed the shows to Jan. 8 and 9), seemed in a forgiving mood when she finally appeared in a black kimono and headpiece, singing “Nothing Really Matters.”

What followed was a high-energy, jam-packed, two-hour-plus performance that carried fans — mostly middle age, many decked out in sequins and lace — into the wee hours of the morning on a wave of welcome nostalgia.

Flanked by highly skilled dancers, the 65-year-old Madonna was part of the choreography all night without pushing her body too far. She sported a knee brace on her left leg, a sign that she’s moving slower these days and a reminder that she can only battle aging so far.

“I’m a little out of breath here because I had a two-week break. Never take a two-week break in the middle of a tour. Bad idea,” said Madge, who is fresh from a lavish New Year’s Eve celebration in the Caribbean with her kids.

No matter. Her voice was mostly strong, and fans could barely contain their excitement during hits like “Holiday,” “Like a Prayer,” sung from a spinning carousel, and “Vogue.” During the latter, her daughter Estere Vogued on stage with her mother and the dancers to a cheering crowd. Four of Madonna’s six children joined her in Boston, dancing and playing instruments.

The show brought social commentary, sexually-charged dancing, dazzling costumes, fire, lasers, nudity, and Bob the Drag Queen of “RuPaul’s Drag Race” fame as master of ceremonies (what a gig!). Four decades after the singer first burst onto the music scene and shocked audiences time and again, none of this was particularly surprising.

“I have invited you all here because I want to share the story of my life. I want you to go on this journey with me,” Madonna said. “I’ve been doing this sh— for 40 f—ing years. I may have actually been here during the Boston Tea Party, I’m not sure.”

The audience laughed at the Boston-centric joke and then mostly remained on their feet throughout the night.

The sexagenarian took fans through each phase of her career in a very theatrical production, beginning at the age of 19 when she was, as she put it, a “dumbass girl from Detroit” who moved to New York City in 1978 with $35 in her pocket and thought she was going to “take over.”

“You did!” yelled a Boston fan down front.

“But I did, you’re right. I did. I like that. Who said that? Bless you, bless you, my children. You people know how hard I’ve worked,” Madonna said.

She told fans: “It’s important to never forget where you come from. Never forget the struggle, never forget the hunger, never forget the heartache, because that is where you build yourself.”

The production involved many hairstyle and costume changes inspired from decades of diva-dom. Madonna donned designer outfits from the likes of Versace and Jean Paul Gaultier, and her looks included scant negliges, sparkling heels, cowboy hats, head pieces, robes, and of course, the iconic conical bra.

Surprising moments included a lovely stripped down version of “Express Yourself.” She also encouraged a singalong to “This Little Light of Mine.” During “Crazy for You,” fans shined their approval via mobile phone flashlights.

“Live to Tell” proved to be the most emotional song of the night, as a solemn Madonna sang from a glass box suspended high above the audience, slowly gliding past pictures of AIDS victims featured on enormous screens — including Martin Burgoyne, who managed her first club tour.

Later on in the show, Madonna paid tribute to deceased music icons, including Michael Jackson. Two dancers channeling the Queen of Pop and King of Pop performed in silhouette behind a large screen to a mashup of “Like a Virgin” and “Billie Jean” while real photos of the duo together during happy times flashed in the background.

Madonna also, of course, brought the sexy. Her unabashed dancers, sometimes topless and never shy, writhed on stage during songs like “Erotica” and “Justify My Love,” and one even shared a passionate kiss with the star.

During the final number of the night, “Bitch I’m Madonna,” released in 2015, fans went wild as the real Madonna twirled with dancers dressed like the Madonnas of her past, sporting looks from “Material Girl,” “Like a Virgin,” and even her character in the 1992 movie “A League of Their Own.”

And, as the final song ended, the real Madonna stood triumphantly before her fans and thanked them.

Earlier in the night, as news clips and photos detailed her career, her voice said, “I think the most controversial thing I have ever done is stick around.”

Madonna’s setlist at TD Garden:

• Nothing Really Matters
• Everybody
• Into the Groove
• Burning Up
• Open Your Heart
• Holiday
• Live to Tell
• Like a Prayer
• Erotica
• Justify My Love
• Hung Up
• Bad Girl
• Vogue
• Human Nature
• Crazy For You
• Die Another Day
• Don’t Tell Me
• Mother and Father
• Express Yourself
• La Isla Bonita
• Don’t Cry For Me Argentina
• Bedtime Story
• Ray of Light
• Rain
• Like a Virgin / Billie Jean
• Bitch I’m Madonna

Kristi Palma

Travel writer

 

Kristi Palma is the travel writer for Boston.com, focusing on the six New England states. She covers airlines, hotels, and things to do across Boston and New England. She is the author of the award-winning Scenic Six, a weekly travel newsletter.

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