A bubblewrap outfit, giant inflatable fruit and frothy fun. That's what we got when two hot pop princesses performed in Minneapolis on two consecutive nights this week.
Although Lady GaGa and Katy Perry have been to the top of the charts this year with bubblegum pop with irresistible party beats, their stage performances were as different as their backgrounds. Perry, 24, is a tall brunette from Los Angeles known for "I Kissed a Girl" and "Hot N Cold." GaGa, who turns 23 this week, is a tiny blonde from New York City known for "Just Dance" and "Poker Face."
Here's how their sold-out shows -- Perry's Tuesday at First Avenue and GaGa's Monday at the Fine Line -- compared:
CONCEPT
Lady GaGa: Performance artist meets dance diva with kitschy avant-garde pretensions.
Katy Perry: Classic guitar-riff pop/rock delivered with a colorful kookiness and mock defiance.
MESSAGE
LG: Fame is an art.
KP: If he treats you bad, call him names and dump him.
SOUNDS LIKE
LG: The Village People on estrogen.
KP: Alanis Morissette on sugar.
BIGGEST SURPRISE
LG: She sat down at an upright piano (that was clear plastic and filled with clear plastic balls) and did a slow cabaret treatment of "Poker Face."
KP: She delivered her chart-topping sensation "Hot N Cold" really early in the evening, and, like a punk rocker, she unexpectedly climbed atop her amplifiers to sing on the balcony railing.
HER VOICE
LG: During the dance numbers, she was singing -- or lip syncing -- over recorded vocal tracks. On the two piano ballads, her voice was strong but not particularly distinctive.
KP: On the rockers, she showed a brassy voice with an intentional hiccup, but on the ballads she had a tendency to be unfocused, squeaky and not emotional enough.
BIG PROPS
LG: A parade of tres cool oversized sunglasses.
KP: A cornucopia of giant inflatable fruit and a ginormous inflatable cat named Kitty Purry.
HER BAND
LG: No band, just a DJ, three male dancers and lots of recorded vocal tracks.
