Boston got into the groove this week — with two performances by Madonna taking over TD Garden.
Unperturbed by a late concert start time, dedicated fans filled the arena to see the pop icon on The Celebration Tour on Monday and Tuesday. Many waited months to see the show, as the Boston leg was originally set for August, but was pushed due to a health scare.
Dedicated fans expected a late start to the weekday shows — in previous stops on her tour, the starlet usually hit the stage near 10:30 p.m. But, attendees at the Tuesday show were treated to a slightly earlier night, as Madonna came on at 9:50 p.m.
TD Garden shared that the concert would start later due to “the intricacies of the [Madonna] production.” To prevent fans from getting hung up on potentially missing a trip home – the MBTA Commuter Rail posted that trains at North Station were scheduled to hold an extra 15 minutes after the show.
The singer played a variety of her most famous hits including “Like a Prayer,” “Into the Groove” and “Crazy for You." The concert featured a large, intricate stage with pyrotechnics, moving parts and even a lift to fly Madonna across the Garden. The singer and her dancers took concert-goers through some of Madonna's most memorable musical and cultural moments.
Fans were treated to Madonna’s tour debut of “Express Yourself,” which she performed both nights acoustically in Boston.
Staci Freythe, who came to the show with her wife Sarah, was one fan who was not tired of waiting on Madonna. The couple booked a hotel near the Garden, since they live in Providence.
“I’m really excited to see Madonna, I’ve been her number one fan since the 80s,” Staci Freythe said. “She’s just a great performer all around.”
Matt Krysten-McElhone and husband Michael also opted to stay overnight at a hotel so they didn’t have to travel back to their home in Connecticut. The late start time didn't bother them.
“She can do whatever she wants!” said Matt Krysten-McElhone
Matt Krysten-McElhone said Madonna has been a huge part of the couple’s 12-year marriage and they’ve been waiting for the moment to see the legend in concert together.
“She’s an icon and amazing, she's influenced so many people, paving the way for Britney, Christina, every female artist, she’s the original,” said Michael Krysten-McElhone.
For most of her shows, Madonna brings out a special guest to help judge a "Vogue" ballroom section of the show where her dancers display their best moves. At Tuesday’s performance, she brought out musician and Harvard University graduate Maggie Rogers.
MAGGIE ROGERS IS MADONNA’S SPECIAL GUEST TONIGHT IN BOSTON @GBHNews pic.twitter.com/W09ZLGeWuK
— Haley Lerner (@haleylerner) January 10, 2024
Loyal Boston Madonna fan Yanki Okuducu attended both of her stops in town and said Madonna’s shows feel intimate and emotional, yet also packed with “banger after banger.” Okuducu has been a Madonna fan since he first saw her at age 17 in 2009.
“She tries to be the voice of people who don't have a voice, she raises her opinion whether it’s going to be liked or if she's going to get s*** for that,” he said. “But she's not afraid. And she says what she thinks she thinks is right. I really appreciate the courage that she carries.”
Near the end of the show, Madonna said something she often repeats: “I think the most controversial thing I’ve done is to stick around.”
That was the thesis of the show — highlighting the mega-famous songs and controversial moves that made Madonna famous.
Okuducu admires that Madonna still loves her job more than 40 years into her career.
“I don't want to say, ‘Oh my God, her performance was good given that she is 65,’ No, her performance was good as an artist,” he said. “She is really at the top of her game. She's never been afraid of expressing herself.”
