Lady Gaga – Portland, Oregon. PERFECTION. That is all. (VIDEO and PICS!)

All photos by: jaBrink Photography/www.dippedincream.com

I saw Lady Gaga at the Rose Garden in Portland, Oregon--I don't even know where to begin.  I don't.  What can I say about Gaga that hasn't been said a million times?  Honestly, I knew it would be a good show--I just had no bloody idea.

I will say this, and I'll piss off least two people I know (cough**TIMandJAMES**cough):  Madonna WISHES.  I know, I know...."without Madonna there would be NO GAGA!".  Blah, blah, blah...Oh, I'm ready for the throw-down.  Come at me.  I saw more influences of Michael Jackson, Liza Minnelli , The Wizard of Oz and the gore of Marilyn Manson last night.  Yes. I know.  Gaga's a pop bombshell.  But she also plays the piano beautifully and has a powerhouse of a voice.   I was mesmerized.  My senses were heightened; I felt as though I could smell everyone; everything;...perfume, sugar, hair product, booze, sweat, candy, weed, ciggies, Gaga...

Just a few of the awesome Portland fans we met...

So let me start by talking about Portland, Oregon.  I live in Seattle, as you know, but  this was my first concert in Portland.  (It's about a three-hour drive, one way.)   I've been to 8000 concerts here in Seattle, and I know I'm about to get an enormous, collective side-eye by making this blanket statement:  Seattle audiences tend to stand stiffly, arms crossed, looking everyone up and down like 7th graders on the first day of school. Yep.  I said it.   And last night's audience for Gaga in Portland?  I've never...repeat, never seen nearly 30,000 friendly, fun, excited people at a concert.  Nor have I seen nearly 30,000 people Lose. Their. Shit like last night.  It was awwwwwesome.

Yeah. I didn't dress up...that's me on the left in front of Gaga's MFin' BUS

I know all you guys really care about are the pictures I took...and did I ever take some.  You don't want to hear how I got lost twice on the way to the hotel, hadn't eaten all day except for a Cliff Bar and had to pee so badly that it hurt.   You don't even know.  OKAY--the pictures!!

Pretty badass.   Along with feeding the crowd a theatrical feast for the senses, Lady Gaga spoke to her Little Monsters about her charities of choice (GLBT rights, teen homelessness) the misery of being misunderstood, her thankfulness for the position she's in, and most of all, being genuinely humble about her success and FAME.  Oh, Gaga knows she was "born a motherfuckin' SUPERSTAR"--but she's sweet about this fact and  darn-near choked me up by giving a great big pep talk to anyone who has ever felt "less than" or "different" or like a "freak"--because in fact, there's nothing wrong with being different.

For those precious few hours, Lady Gaga made it clear to all of us that "the freaks are all outside"--not inside with us.