At Tampa concert, Madonna reminds us why she’s the queen

TAMPA — She kept us waiting for hours in Amalie Arena.

But once Madonna took the stage a full two hours past the scheduled start of the 8:30 p.m. show, that didn’t matter. For the next two hours, the Queen of Pop showed us why she owns the title, and the multi-generational crowd gave back just as much energy.

DJ Mary Mac 5 Star set the vibe with a lively set. Then Bob the Drag Queen, dressed up like Marie Antoinette, got the crowd even more hyped as he introduced Madonna.

The singer’s Celebration Tour includes hits from the past four decades — the entirety of Madonna’s career — and features a troupe of dancers surrounding Madonna and working the stage, which had a long runway and elements suspended from the ceiling. Screens flashed video montages of photographs, artwork, scenes of New York City.

The tour was postponed last summer after Madonna suffered a severe bacterial infection that led to her being in a medically-induced coma for 48 hours. It’s pretty impressive that she’s bounced back relatively quickly.

After performing “Nothing Really Matters” — a song about how having children changed her life — alone on the stage, she was joined by dancers dressed as early 1980s punks for “Everybody” and “Into the Groove.”

Next, Madge grabbed an electric guitar and took us back to the iconic New York City punk club CBGB, where she first performed “Burning Up.”

Then she addressed the audience, saying that the show was the story of her life and she wanted us to “feel all the feels.”

“And really, Tampa, I’m only here every 40 years, so you should appreciate it,” she said, referring to the fact that she’s only performed here once before, in 1985.

She was accompanied by a person wearing a blank face mask throughout the show, who represented a younger version of herself that has stuck with her through the years. She gave herself a hug and reminded us to not forget where we came from.

“This isn’t a pop show, it’s more of a retrospective,” she said. “It’s performance art.”

Indeed. During “Open Your Heart,” there were nods to the memorable music video featuring a peepshow, and “Holiday” took us to a New York City nightclub, where the party reached a dizzying height, then took a heartbreaking turn as dancers started to fall to the ground. The refrain “Holiday” repeated as a haunting echo.

This led to a segment honoring those who were lost to AIDS, accompanied by a montage of their photographs while she performed “Live to Tell.” It began with a photo of former Tampa Bay resident Martin Burgoyne.

The segment culminated with an emotional “Like a Prayer,” with dancers’ bodies morphing into poses of Jesus Christ during crucifixion and other feats of physicality. There was a nod to Prince — who had played guitar on the original track — with a guitarist wearing a purple-patterned suit and a sample of the spoken intro of “Let’s Go Crazy.”

Madonna has always been a strong and vocal advocate for the LGBTQ+ community, and this concert was a big kiss to it. Ballroom culture was celebrated in a joyful segment during “Vogue,” which featured her daughter Estere as the DJ. Dancers walked the runway

to be judged by Madonna and guest Monét X Change.

It wouldn’t be Madonna if there wasn’t a steamy sexual element, and that came with sensual choreography on “Erotica,” “Justify My Love” and “Hung Up,” then turned almost remorseful with “Bad Girl,” on which her daughter Mercy played the piano.

Things took a tender turn with “Mother and Father,” which she dedicated to her mother, who died when she was very young. A photo of her was on a screen, as was the photo of her adopted son David’s mother, who died in childbirth. David also accompanied on guitar.

Among her many costume changes, Madonna went Western chic and played “Express Yourself” on her guitar, which she slung over her back for “La Isla Bonita.” She donned a silver bodysuit and long pink wig as she flew over the stage in a square for “Ray of Light.”

A dedication to Michael Jackson came with a “Billie Jean” / “Like a Virgin” mashup, with dancers dressed like the duo silhouetted on a screen.

Madonna has dealt with the pressures of celebrity’s obsession with youth, which is alluded to with sound bites of her saying “To age is a sin” and “The most controversial thing I’ve ever done is to stick around.” People may expect her, at age 65, to act or dress a certain way. But instead, she reminds us what a trailblazer she is during “B---- I’m Madonna,” with dancers dressed in her most iconic looks through the years.

Whatever you do, don’t expect Madonna to stop.

Setlist for Madonna’s Tampa show

It’s a Celebration (Bob the Drag Queen intro)

Nothing Really Matters

Everybody

Into the Groove

Burning Up

Open Your Heart

Holiday

The Storm

Live to Tell

The Ritual

Like a Prayer

Living for Love

Erotica

Justify My Love

Hung Up

Bad Girl

Ballroom

Vogue

Human Nature

Crazy for You

The Beast Within

Die Another Day

Don’t Tell Me

Mother and Father

Express Yourself

La Isla Bonita

Don’t Cry for Me Argentina

Madonna

Bedtime Story

Ray of Light

Take a Bow

Billie Jean / Like a Virgin

B---- I’m Madonna

Celebration (outro)