the madonna podcast

2006.07.16 10.24

Podcast Episode 007 -- On Tour With Madonna is now available for your viewing pleasure. It's 90% Madonna and 10% Super Genius and Christina. I used a Samsung SC-X105L NTSC sports camcorder. It's super itty bitty and uses Sony Memory Sticks. It also comes with a cool external camera (which I didn't use) that you can strap on your body (which I didn't do). Instead, I learned from the fine folks at MadonnaTribe.com that your best bet for getting a camera into the concert was to stuff it down your pants. It's illegal for the popo to touch you there, or so I hear. The extra bulge didn't get too many stares (except from me everytime I looked down). You see... I stuffed my camera into a, uhhh... camera sock. Yeah. That's it. They sell them at camera shops.

We arrived at the Wachovia Center around 6 PM by way of the SEPTA Pattison subway line. After initially thinking there were no pre-show drinking activities, we eventually discovered they were letting concert patrons into the stadium's bar. In 2001 and 2004, there was a pseudo-lame outdoor venue thing where you could buy food and drinks. It sorta sucked so this was a welcome change. You could hear Madonna doing her sound checks while we were there. Nice. We had to pass security and get our tickets scanned to get into the bar. I think the security guy was more enamored by Christina's beauty than making sure we weren't packing photo equipment in our panties. Christina even got a disposable camera inside even after being absolutely certain they were going to make her get rid of it. I got in with no pat down and a cursory wand wave. Yay! I've always been super paranoid about trying to shoot photos or video everytime I go to a concert despite the fact that people all around me were doing it. I figured I'd just do it this time and hope for the best. That was a great idea as it turns out. Security was awesome. They were more concerned about keeping people in the proper seats and keeping the aisles clear. Great guys. Larry the stadium camera guy was also very cool. Compared to his giant industrial sized camera, my camera was like a dot. John the security guy wanted to know if my camera took video or stills. I didn't know if he was aiming to get me to cease and desist depending on my answer. I played it safe and said stills. He bought it. I know. I know. I'm going to hell for lying to the Wachovia security dude. Tell me something I don't already know.

Madonna's show was amazing, as usual. My seats were on the front row right side of the cat walk. I was at the very end of the row, but that didn't really matter as everyone compressed toward the center quite nicely. I think I was the only guy in the front row on that side. What's up with that? Madonna kept noticing people a few rows behind us were just standing around and gawking. MadonnaTribe.com member DJ Barney attended the show and filmed the entire performance of ''Let It Will Be'' *and* includes Madonna confronting some dude behind us that was bringing her down. If you watch closely you'll see my head at the end of the row (far right) when the camera swings around during the confrontation. Nice! I didn't get Madonna winking at me this time around, although you may notice she walks right up to us with her hand stuck in her pants, pulls it out, then licks her finger. For me, it's not a Madonna concert until Madonna is making lewd hand gestures in my general direction.