#5: Music from Drowned World 2001

I saw Madonna live for the first time in September 2001 on her Drowned World Tour. She was touring on a large scale for the first time since 1993’s The Girlie Show, to promote her CD, Music. This performance was the closing song in the show, and for me one of those euphoria moments I spoke of earlier. I nearly lost it when I heard those synthesized lyrics: “Do you like to/boogie woogie?/Do you like my acid rock?”

As the montage of music-video clips appeared on the monitors, it really hit me that I had just spent two hours watching my favorite musical artist—live!—finally!—after 17 years of watching MTV videos, renting concerts on VHS from the local video store, and recording HBO concerts, the wait was over. The woman that appeared in all those clips was the legend that was now rising up on a vinyl-record-shaped lift. When the music pauses and she sings the first lyrics, “Hey Mr. DJ/Put a record on/I wanna dance with my baby…” and then the beat quickly resumes, I couldn’t help but hoot and holler and dance in that narrow space in front of my concert seat. The dancers, wearing large stereo headphones, move as well, as we all watch and follow every move of our DJ savior.

Lead dancer Christian Vincent (shaved-head dancer on the left side of the screen, sitting at first on a nearby platform) busts some mean moves, and even has a great interaction with Madonna near the end of the performance. (See the still shot in the embedded video.) They run across the stage for a moment, smiling at each other and holding hands, before she heads over to the keyboardist and multi-talented musician and producer, Stuart Price (Madonna’s 2006 masterpiece, Confessions on a Dance Floor, and Kylie Minogue’s 2010, well, masterpiece, Aphrodite).

Another dancer to watch is Nito Larioza. He has a spotlight during the chorus after the second verse. As soon as he cartwheels in front of Madonna, you can’t take your eyes off of him. He later bends and slides in between her legs as she poses and sings. Musically, the conga-enriched breakdown is outstanding. Niki Haris at one point shouts, “Release yourself!” Madonna has always been inspired by latin beats and this performance just confirms that.

With regards to choreography, Madonna never quits. After two hours of singing and dancing, she does a move that requires her to repeatedly bend and drop to the floor, then catapult herself back to a standing position. Music is the way to end a concert—save that big hit for last, sending everyone home on a euphoric note. BSo