From Dafreakiestfrank:
Wow. Madonna was absolutely amazing last night! Even if she does go on tour again....I don't know if I'll attend because I want to remember her live experience with this flawless performance.
There are a few things I'd like to point out for fans going to other shows. I was on the right side of the stage, very close, and I will argue that the LEFT side of the stage is better because she sings Crazy For You on a raised platform from there.
My boyfriend and I were pleading from afar for her to sing this song and not Love Profusion which I read somewhere that she might do in some shows. I hope she's changed her mind about this....with all the money we paid to see her, it would be a crime against the fans if she didn't sing Crazy For You.
Like a Prayer was like a religious experience. During this song, Madonna stood next to the New Nikki Harris (who will never be able to fully replace her) and mouthed part of the solo next to her. Madonna was so on and really feeling it....her level of confidence was just phenomenal.
I don't know how she walked backwards on her hands upside down, but she did. The Die Another Day costumes are very nice....one of my favorite outfits of the show....next to the corset she wears during Vogue. I love the way she strikes her yoga poses. I wanted to do the hand motions to Vogue but refrained with a bit of difficulty.
I loved it when she got down with the bagpipe player on the conveyer belt. That woman can dance! Also, she promotes something called spirituality for kids? Not sure what this is, but sounds like a great idea.
The stage is very colorful in MUSIC like a discotec....probably my favorite set....next to the fierce runway-like drop down stage....that Madonna TOTALLY worked it out on.
Ok, and now I pose a question regarding the imagery for Mother and Father. She shows a picture of Jesus and Mary....and she's singing 'I've got to give it up'. Could she not only be singing about her family but her old religion as well? She's so into the Kabbalah now....that's one thought that came to my mind.
And lastly, lets talk about Madonna's personality. She seems so happy now! I can see that yoga has made her more relaxed and less perfectionist. The energy in the venue was truly out of control. The fans could not get enough of Madonna. The crowd screamed for her 5 or 6 times for her to come out before the beast within even started.
This show is going to reach so many people. I wish Madonna would have used her powerful voice to support her convictions about war/peace, rather than images and music. It would have meant more if she composed a speech or something to really get the point across. I'm not sure whether or not younger fans will really get what she's trying to get across. I can't believe I've been a far for so long (since true blue album), and she's still just as wonderful as she was back than....in reference to her voice, even better. She sang Lament better than she did on the original record.
Also, what is Madonna's stance on gay marriage? Isn't Rosie O'Donnell still a close friend? I haven't heard her say anything about how she feels about this topic.
There is nothing offensive about this show (except maybe that she only did one song from Erotica 'Deeper and Deeper', and it was completely different....maybe not even as good as the original version). At any rate, the show is very tastefully executed.
I wasn't shocked....moved yes, shocked no. Enjoy the show....and thank you Madonna!
P.S. Madonna does NOT want you to sit down for this tour! Get off you asses and don't disrespect the queen of pop!

From Jill:
Madonna's show last night in San Jose was, in one word, AMAZING! She absolutely rocked and just blew me away!
I've been a Madonna fan since I was 11 years old and I've never seen her in such perfect form as last night. Her voice was incredible, her dancing was energizing and her attitude was awesome! I can't say enough positive things about it, if you weren't there, it will be very hard to explain the feelings that came over me.
The vibe was so positive and there was a tangible feeling of love and happiness in the air. My favorite performance had to be Crazy For You when she dedicated it to all her fans who have stuck by her for 20 years. She sang it to us and we sang it, word for word in unison, right back to her!
And, to top it all off, fate was working in my favor. As I sat down in my seat, I looked to my right and there, next to me, was a long-lost friend of mine whom I hadn't seen in 7 years or talked to in 3 years! Madonna was the major thing we had in common and she brought us together again!
The night was spectacular and I'll never forget it for as long as I live.

From Michael:
I am on a cloud today. The show last night was so much more than I hoped for. I was stimulated, provoked, proud, and in heaven.
Madonnas vocals were so clear. I understood everything she sang! She looked rested and in incredible physical form. My sister who is only 25 and in great shape said she is so inspired by Madonna.
The audience was a really cool crowd. Madonna has the best looking fans. We are all so influenced by Her Madgesty!

From Joseph:
San Jose had Madonna Fever, Sunday June 6th at the HP PAVILION. In The first of three concerts to be performed in the San Francisco Bay Area, Madonna brought the house down with both her classic and contemporary hits.
The energy in the arena was amazing and the runaway sections were spectacular (I can still feel her sweat on me!).
Overall the show was stunning and definitely a treat for all her fans. Her voice sounded the best it has ever been and on a personal note she looked the happiest she has ever been.

From James:
From the opening song of 'The Beast Within' to the last song of Holiday, Madonna's Re-invention tour in San Jose was better than the L.A premiere and Las Vegas.
The energy that she fed off from the crowd was unbelievable! She brought the house down and kept all wanting more!
Madonna's aware the bay area knows how to party and kept everyone involved all night long by talking with them throughout the night. Madonna even worked the stage/runway harder and better than the previous shows!
All I can say is This Goddess is incomparable!

From Theresa:
'WOW' This show was amazing! I was inches from Madonna the whole show in the pits. Her voice was impeccable! I was also inches from Donna....she heard me call her name and then smiled at me!
I would have to say the BEST song of the night was....IMAGINE! The video images are what brought on the tears for me. Before she sang the song she said; I didn’t write this song, but wish I had!
Another favorite for me was, Nothing Fails! We had the best time....THANKS MADONNA....for making my dream come true!

From Jared:
Mrs. Ritchie's first show in San Jose proved to be an exhilarating affair. Even before the lights went out, people were x-static and cheering her arrival. There was a wide array of people there - older fans, younger children, and everyone in between. She does bring the people together!
Opening with The Beast Within was a fantastic choice, as it let the audience knoe what was in store for them, which was sheer brilliance! As soon as Vogue started, it was clear that this concert was to be nothing like the Drowned World tour. Her facial expressions and body language suggested she was ready to remind the audience she had not forgotten the classics.
It seemed as if this tour was also separated into segments, which was how the Drowned World Tour was staged. American Life, though not one of my favorite M tracks, was a fabulous performance - complete with a bridge which expanded out (and reappeared with Holiday). The screen had haunting images but also really got Maddy's views across about the state of the world.
Her cover of Imagine received an incredible response, complete with lighters (as did Crazy for You). People sat down for the slower tracks, but with Material Girl, Into the Groove, Express Yourself, and Like a Prayer people came to their senses. My favorite part of the show was the circus aspect (Deeper and Deeper, Hanky Panky)....I love M as a flapper!
Other points - Siedah Garrett was terrific as a Niki Harris replacement (thank God Donna was there!), and the merchandise was wonderful because there were items with older images as well!

From Tom:
The tour is a spectacularly artful concoction: from the thrilling first seconds to the last it is aggressively political and religious, aesthetically inventive, and musically forward-thinking.
This is not Madonna doing her past: it is very much the Madonna of 'American Life.' I have more admiration than ever for Madonna for 'sticking to her guns' and expressing herself.
While the over-all theme is self-improvement or self re-invention, the show also tackles Madonna's complex relationship to America's culture of celebrity and materialism.
This makes for some interesting, and sometimes confused, pieces, where the levels of irony are piled so high it is a bit hard even to register what Madonna is saying ('Express Yourself' is an example, staged as a martial marching-chant like number).
Critics, mainstream media, and some fans seem to want Madonna just to go back to where she was in 1990. I admire her conviction for forging ahead with innovative pop spectacle.
Her performance was quite impressive I thought. Her voice was beautiful, really moving in parts, particularly in the song from Evita.
I did feel that she was metering herself: she didn't seem to sweat all that much. But she is 45. The asanas in Vogue are stunning, and the whole opening sequence practically had me in tears it was so beautiful and haunting.
I have to say that some of the musical arrangements pissed me off, particularly the mixing of 'Intervention' with 'Mother and Father' (I love Intervention and just wanted to hear the song).
'Burning Up' was possibly the best number in the whole show.
A stunning creation again from Madonna full of complexity, creativity, contradiction, and brilliance. Well worth it!

From Mike:
The Sunday night show in San Jose was definitely the best show so far. The crowd was by far the most excited and interactive and Madonna was smiling a lot and having a blast too. She wasn't as talkative as the LA shows, probably because there were few (if any) 'friends and family' in the audience to talk to. But, she was making lot's of faces, winks and smiles at the audience in the first rows - I even got a wink in the 3rd row of the floor.
She did say there are a lot of 'material girls out there' when looking into the middle section....it was pretty obvious she meant the girls and some of the shirtless gay guys as a knowing pun :-) This was the only show so far where many guys shed their shirts, sweating to Madonna's danceable songs.
Unlike the first Las Vegas show (which was definitely the least energetic show - the audience was bland too), this felt like a pure fan show. Everyone was dancing and singing and Madonna loved it. It was the first time you could feel the entire audience beaming their appreciation to her. I can't wait for tonight and tomorrow nights shows!

From seagirl13:
Where do I begin. The show on Sunday night was AMAZING! From the moment we stepped into the arena you could feel the electricity in the air. It was crazy. People were, screaming and whistling an hour before the show even began. As we walked to our seats on the floor we looked up and saw the catwalk, and could hardly believe it. It was so close. (Thank God for the ICON presale)
Though we searched before the concert for the cowboy in hopes of getting pit passes (with no luck) it didn't matter our seats were awesome.
The show started and the crowd went wild. Madonna looked fantastic. I swear the crowd sang along to every song. Especially Crazy For You. She sounded Fabulous. When the catwalk came down I thought I was gonna die. There she was....about ten feet from me! It was f*ckin CRAZY!
This was definitely the best concert ever....Definitely not one to be missed! Now I just have to figure out how to get my ass to another one :)

From Chris:
What a show last night in San Jose! By far, her best tour yet. I thought the crowd was much less 'colorful' than her appearance in Oakland on the Drowned World Tour, but there were still a few Mister Sisters in the crowd that livened things up.
Once Madonna came out the crowd went wild. She was flawless, as were her dancers, singers and stage crew. Madonna just kicks ass! Simple as that.

From Theresa:
The same as the first night the second was just as good....if not better. Madonna had the crowd on their feet the entire show! At one point she did mention being dizzy again!
She put so much of herself out to the crowd, even though I was not in the pit for this show....I had just as much fun. Anyone going to a show....no matter were you are seated....you will be on your feet dancing.

From Jet:
Madonna shines brighter with a lot less effort. Thinking back at her earlier tours, specifically the way in which she chose to present her material, it is apparent that the new reinvented Madonna is more at peace. Much more gentle, more human. Despite this softness she retains her strength and provocative character. This may be the very reason why vocally she sounds great!
I found about two people who where chosen to be in the front row. The first time while we were taking our seats. A girls walked to her space and commented on the fact that she had just spent $900 in Madonna merchandise. Out of nowhere a man comes up to her and says that she should be in the front row. She and her three friends must have had the time of their lives! The same thing happened to someone else who was with a separate group of friends but I do not have the details on that one. She is really doing it for the fans this time.

From Thomas:
I was lucky enough to see the show on Sunday June 6 and on Tuesday June 8. I have to say, Tuesday Madonna totally rocked out and really connected to the crowd - more so than on Sunday.
She was more energetic, a little more punk, more alive. It was a brilliant performance and I enjoyed the show as much or more the second time.
There were a few glitches that I found interesting: the giant video screens didn't start right at the beginning, and she had to try two times to kick up into her head stand during Vogue. But the rest of the show, as far as I could tell, was beyond flawless. Simply brilliant.

From Eric B:
After being a fan for 20 years, I got the chance of a lifetime to sit in the pits when Madonna took the stage on 6/8/04 in San Jose.
We flew in from Seattle and were expecting a fabulous show. Getting to the stadium, we were met by the tour manager to escort us into the pit area and given our directions. No cameras, cell phones, food or drinks.
'Don't put your hands over the plexiglass or your outta here'. Let me tell you, that did not stop us. We were respectful and did not grab, but put our hands up so that we Madonna walked my she was grabbing for us.
The show was flawless. She looked amazing and her voice was LIVE and beautiful. The show was very moving and exciting. Madonna even came over and sang right to me.
Donna Delory, if you read this, I was the one screaming your name alot in the right pit. She looked amazing also.
The dancers were a lot of fun, always coming over to make sure we felt included and one of them even was in the pit with us dancing.
MTV thank you for the chance of a lifetime. My idol touched me 3 times that night.

From Angel:
I would have to say Madonna has made my 22nd birthday the most memorable since birth. Although there was other people in the PIT with me, it felt like only Madonna, the best dancers, and myself were on stage.
I was captivated the whole time that the show was on. She looked, moved, and sounded great. After watching all of the happenings of the show it was apparent that everyone that is part of this tour from dancers to the band to the lighting crew, they all genuinely enjoy being part of this the Re-invention tour.
Before the concert started one of the the dancers came into the pit and was talking to us, the lighting crew from up above were flashing the pits with the spot lights, that pumped us up.
The pit which I was in and the other were totally enthusiastic about being there. Even before the show we were yelling for Madonna. During the show I kept looking at Donna when she wasn't singing most part of the time she was watching Madonna with this look on her face like 'you go girl', the other part she was give the right pit lots of love by smiling and winking at us.
The dancers paid lots of attention to the pits as well, making the experience that much more exciting. Then of course there was the 'M' factor or it all. She gave us so much love. I made eye contact with Madonna about 5 times. To have Madonna singing about a foot away from you is the best experience, EVER! Then it happen, she touched me! That was it I was set for the rest of the night.
Then when the show ended, I stood there to as the stage went down. What I saw was a beautiful sight. When the front screens finally closed and the rotating part of the stage went down all the dancers embraced Madonna with a huge group hug and they walked to the back of the arena in the large group as one. That was my Re-invention experience.

From Troy:
VERY different even for a Madonna concert! Last night she sang very longingly to us in San Jose. Fans were prepared for a lot and even we were shocked.
Standouts were; a soulful delivery of "Mother and Father", a delierious 'Burning Up', the most DANCING I've seen Madonna do, and a techno-edged 'Holiday', which was due for a reinvention.
Madonna has a rapport now with her fan base. She can take a stadium full of screaming fans and make it feel like it's just you and her. NOTE She heaps affection on her fans with this show! If you love Madonna this is like a hug from her! NOTE for future show goers: The more you give her the more she gives back.
She was really impressed with our noise level in San Jose! Visual symbols are like a secret language between her and her fans. This time she's egging us on, do more with your life, think more creatively, work passionately, and love each other like your life depends on it, it very much does.
I've seen several Madonna shows and I had to write this to fans to get the word out: This is NOT the Madonna tour to miss! If you DO NOT have a ticket now, hock your clothes, furniture, whatever! She entertained my arse off. We all left in tears.

From Michael:
I saw Madonna live for the first time in my life last night. She was beyond amazing. The show was spectacular. I expected something great and Madonna delivered. It was by far the best concert I have ever seen.
I bought four tickets ($300 each) and it was money well spent. Now I want to figure out how I can see her again.
The videography was breathtaking. The choreography was clever, fun, and new. The lighting and stage design were first rate. And, Madonna sounded wonderful. Her voice was full and controlled.
I can't say enough about this show.

From Enrique:
AMAZING! INCREDIBLE! PROVOCATIVE! I was in the twilight zone last night in San Jose when I found myself about 10 feet from her majesty in the 2nd row FRONT & CENTER!
I found these tickets online from a ticket agency in New York the day before the show for $350 a piece, and they FedExed them overnight and then I sold my original seats the day of the show (which were good too).
If you have a chance to get seats in the first 5 rows from the stage, DO IT! Look for them on ticket agencies a couple of days before the show - and also look on TicketMaster the day before the show and the day of the show, they hold some front row seats until the last minute. And then sell your tickets to someone you know or someone online who wants to go to the show! I have never had an experience like that in my life!
Make sure and do your best to let Madonna know you love her (get LOUD), because the more the audience gives to her - the more she gives back! At one point, we all got so loud together in the front row - Madonna threw us a big kiss right after we did it! LET GO AND HAVE FUN!