Lady Gaga announces North American tour
Lady Gaga is ready to hear applause in arenas across North America this spring. The always provocative pop star is readying a tour in support of her latest album, “Artpop.”
Billed as “artRave: The ARTPOP Ball” Gaga’s upcoming show is set to open on May 4 in Ft. Lauderdale. The 25-date trek will wrap on July 21 with a stop at Staples Center in downtown Los Angeles.
Gaga’s lofty ambitions for flashy spectacle are the core of her live showings with her tours continuing to up the ante.
Her last outing, 2012’s massive Born This Way Ball, was a master class in spectacle with a sprawling, three-story medieval castle and extravagant set pieces such as a mechanical horse, the infamous Grammy egg and a motorcycle that doubled as a costume.
But the show’s grueling choreography led to a hip injury that required surgery for Gaga and the cancellation of more than a dozen dates earlier this year. The new tour will include several cities she was forced to skip because of the injury.
The “artRave” could be a tipping point for Gaga, who has taken some hits this year.
“Artpop’s” lead single, “Applause,” didn’t make the sort of noise typical for a Gaga release and critics have been largely split on her new tunes. “Artpop” did open at No. 1 when it was released in November, but its first-week sales paled in comparison to releases from fellow pop divas Katy Perry and Miley Cyrus. She also parted ways with her longtime manager a week before the album hit stores and a recent Thanksgiving special for ABC anchored by the album and the Muppets flopped.
Before opening the new tour, Gaga will stage a sold-out series of shows at New York’s famed Roseland Ballroom in late March. Her seven-night stint will be the last shows at Roseland, and set the record for the most consecutive shows by any artist at the venue.
Tickets for most dates, including Staples Center, go on sale Monday through Live Nation.
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