It doesn't bode particularly well for a headline act when they're overshadowed by their supporting artist. On Friday, May 22, the Pussycat Dolls' show was well and truly obliterated by the performance of their supporting act - the mercurial and overtly sexual Lady GaGa.
Performing all her recent hits, GaGa cavorted, leapt and danced as the crowd buzzed with excitement. Billing herself as an entertainer, rather than merely a chanteuse, GaGa's set saw a dozen or so costume changes, reminding many audience members of the queen of pop: Madonna. The crowd loved GaGa's multitude of musical numbers, including that apparent ode to bisexual love, 'Poker Face', and a string of others, including 'Just Dance' and 'LoveGame'. Lady GaGa has actually penned tracks for the Pussycat Dolls - perhaps the show's promoters should have installed GaGa as their headlining matriarch and reserved the rather glib and hollow performance by the Pussycat Dolls as a simple amuse-bouche.
Lacking the fanfare and gusto of GaGa, the Pussycat Dolls arrived onstage to veritable applause. However, with only two albums to their name, the girls are hardly veterans, meaning that the little notoriety they have gained through their popular songs was largely reserved for the end of the show. Originally a burlesque dance troupe, the Pussycat Dolls did very little dancing, relying on the vocals of lead kitty Nicole Scherzinger to elevate a dismal performance to barely mediocre. When the hits did come, they were performed one after another. Somewhat like a quick and momentary high, the girls gyrated their way through songs like 'Jai Ho! (You Are My Destiny)' and 'When I Grow Up'. But it just wasn't enough to save the hapless Pussycat Dolls: Lady GaGa simply outshone with her elaborate pageantry and palpable desire to be more than just a pretty face.
Daniel Bloom
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