Eight very sold-out nights in Los Angeles is a victory by any metric. But for Lady Gaga, the final performance of her Mayhem Ball run at the Kia Forum wasn’t just a celebration of scale, it reminded fans why Lady Gaga is one of the most loved and respected pop stars in the world. She can sing, not just dance. She can play the piano and guitar, not just dance. She can move an arena full of 18,000 people to tears right after serving 2 hours of high-energy, “weird pop theatre.”
This was my second Mayhem Ball tour experience. My first romp into the cryptic castle was last summer when I took my kid to see the beautiful spectacle. While that first experience was mind-blowing, this second time around, I was able to dance the night away with new eyes and see things I had not noticed the first time.
Most fans walked away from Gaga’s Mayhem Ball talking about the spectacle first: the Gothic grandeur, the macabre-meets-glam costuming, the towering set pieces, the relentless choreography. And yes, Mayhem Ball delivers all of it. The visuals are dense, the narrative world-building immersive, the fashion architectural. But on the finale of her L.A. run, what lingered weren’t the theatrics. It was the humanity and undeniable talent of Gaga’s entire team that made up the Mayhem Ball Tour.
1. A Surprise Spell: “Abracadabra” Reimagined
In a move that felt both intimate and historic, Gaga stunned the arena with the first-ever acoustic piano rendition of “Abracadabra” performed on the Mayhem Ball tour. Stripped of its bombast, the song became almost devotional. The maximalist production gave way to a solitary piano, her voice carrying the melody with operatic control and emotional restraint.
It was a reminder: beneath the artifice, she is a vocalist of rare caliber. We often get distracted by the pageantry, the choreography, the costume changes, the high-concept staging — and forget that Gaga’s foundation is vocal discipline. When she leans into that training, when the production falls away, the magnitude of her instrument becomes undeniable.
Last year, Gaga debuted this moving version of “Abracadabra” on the Howard Stern show. But this was the firt time the Mayhem Ball Tour heard it live.
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2. “Hair” and a Sea of Tears
Before sitting at the piano for “Hair,” Gaga paused to speak directly to her fans. It wasn’t a scripted monologue; it felt lived-in, personal. You could feel the room tighten.
Then came the opening chords.
Fans didn’t scream along; they sang softly, reverently. Couples embraced. Friends clutched each other’s hands. Tears were wiped away in near silence. “Hair” has always been an anthem of identity and self-ownership, but in piano-ballad form it became something closer to communal therapy. There truly were not enough tissues in the building.
What made the moment even more staggering was its placement in the set. This wasn’t mid-show, where she could conserve energy. It came at the tail end of nearly two and a half hours of sustained choreography, heavy breathing, and vocal endurance. And still, she delivered the ballad with clarity and control, moving an arena to tears on pure vocal performance alone.
Few pop stars at her level attempt that kind of vulnerability after such physical exertion. Fewer still can execute it flawlessly.
There was not a dry eye in the arena.
3. Theatrical Mayhem: Choreography and Costume
The Mayhem Ball aesthetic leans heavily into Gothic surrealism, and the dancers amplify that vision with unnerving precision. At one point, performers appeared in massive, flowing black gowns and headpieces, their movements sharp and disjointed — almost corpse-like in their articulation. The choreography required extraordinary body control. And this style was seen performed by Gaga’s incredible dancers numerous times throughout the show.
We’ve seen echoes of this style in the “Abracadabra” visual universe, but witnessing it live adds a visceral dimension. The physicality in real life is immersive in a way screens can’t replicate.
Even the intermissions were elevated. Between acts, Gaga directed visually and sonically rich transitions that felt intentional rather than filler. Her dancers understood every bit of the assignment, with extra credit.
4. The Metal Interlude That Became a Moment
Then there was the unexpected metal detour. And it was epic.
During a technical battery change for one of the camera rigs, what could have been downtime turned into a full-throttle jam session. Under stark black-and-white rays of pulsating lights (that nearly made me sick), Gaga’s band leaned into a gritty, almost Nine Inch Nails–esque aesthetic. Strobes flashed. The tempo pounded and I closed my eyes and let my inner metal queen out.
Her guitarist ripped through chunky, distortion-heavy riffs. The bassist planted into a wide power stance, locks whipping in time. Drummer Tosh seized the spotlight, turning what might have been a pause into a percussive showcase.
It was chaotic in the best way — raw, loud, unpolished. And it underscored something often overlooked: Gaga’s band can genuinely shred. This isn’t a backing ensemble phoning it in between pop hits. They are musicians with teeth.
5. Endurance as Art Form
Clocking in near the three-hour mark, Gaga’s L.A. finale felt like a marathon. She moved through eras, costumes, and genres without flinching. Fans took a trip down memory lane spanning nostalgic anthems, operatic flourishes, industrial rock passages, stripped-down piano ballads, and Gage never once compromised intensity. She is a beast!
By the time she took her victory lap down the catwalk to the tune of “Americano,” the energy was next level. I felt like I was at a Mediterranean wedding doing taking part in a festive dance with someone’s clap-happy relative.
Her triumphant strut, bare of any makeup, was badass. And this is exactly what Lady Gaga is; she is a true badass. The icon just wrapped eight sold-out nights, conquering an arena repeatedly. She left no crumbs (and no empty seats for that matter).
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The Mayhem Ball dazzles and overwhelms, and in the best of ways. But on this final night in Los Angeles, what resonated most was something quieter: a woman at a piano, an arena in tears, and the undeniable proof that the entire cast, from the dance floor to the band, of the Mayhem Ball Tour play an important part in giving fans thee concert experience of their life.
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