Pop superstar Lady Gaga brought her theatrical musical road show to the South by Southwest music festival Thursday evening.
The one-hour show, sponsored by Doritos to benefit the performer’s Born This Way Foundation, drew more than 2,000 enthusiasts to the open-air patio stage of Stubb’s BBQ in downtown Austin. To get into the free show, fans had to perform a “Doritos Bold Mission” – such as change their Facebook relationship status to an untruth or share a piece of clothing with a stranger – then share the act on social media in order to be eligible for a ticket.
On Thursday night, band mates wheeled out Lady Gaga onstage hog-tied to a large roasting spit – an apparent nod to Central Texas’ BBQ culture – from where she sang her first song, Aura. Dressed in a black bikini and fishnet stockings, she rocked through the song with her band. She then doused herself with Lone Star beer. She sprayed the crowd with water from a bottle. She urged the mostly young, tech-savvy crowd to put away their cell phones and enjoy the performance. “Do me a favor and don’t post this show,” she said.
Other theatrics ensued, once again proving it was clear Lady Gaga had done her part (and made it a mission of hers) to keep Austin weird.
The show kicks off a two-day Doritos-sponsored concert series at SXSW with artists such as the Far East Movement and Ludacris.
– Scott Randell (@DefinedByMvsic)