Why the Second Leg of Lady Gaga's Monster Ball is Better Than the First

Since the release of her second studio album, "The Fame Monster," Lady Gaga has been touring non-stop. The "Monster Ball" tour has evolved from concert halls to arenas and the show has evolved with it.

The second leg of the tour brought something that was missing from the first: fun. Looking back on the first concert, I was mostly disturbed by the performances, which had dancers in skeleton costume writhing on the floor, and even more so, by the videos which punctuated the show.

This time around, she brought out the flashing lights and a much less distressing vibe. For starters, this version of the Ball was more like a rock opera than a concert. With a full band on stage with her at all times, and a full-blown plot line, she had a much more cohesive show. The show revolves around Gaga and her friends trying to make it to the Monster Ball. But after their car breaks down, they're forced to take the subway. That doesn't work out as planned either and they end up lost in the scariest part of Central Park, where they encounter the "Fame Monster," which is a literal tentacled sharp-toothed giant monster. After defeating the monster, they make it the best party in the world.

Though there were a lot more scripted monologues this time around, the best parts of the show came when she interacted with the audience. In fact, this show brought the audience a funnier, more personable Lady Gaga, which is almost runs counter to what you would expect with a larger arena tour. She definitely made it a point to create an intimate atmosphere. She commented on concertgoers' outfits and even donned a fan-made t-shirt for two songs after it was thrown on stage. And fans from the pit all the way to the highest of the nosebleed seats were dancing to their hearts' content the entire time.

Despite being a little disappointed that she hadn't released any new music since last seeing her, I quickly forgot how played out all her songs are when she belted them out on stage. She gave us a taste of some new tunes, including one that she described as having an almost country feel, called "You and I," which she performed while sat at a burning piano. I was also a little peeved that this concert was more expensive and that she had only Semi Precious Weapons opening. If you saw the first leg of her tour, you can expect the exact same show from them. However, I quickly got over my qualm when she performed for two whole hours. Almost no song from either of her albums went unperformed. After seeing a show that great, there is really no room to complain.

Surely, the show will be revamped once more for the 2011 dates, which are already on sale. The next concert will be opened by "Scissor Sisters" and something tells me it will be bigger and better than this one. Though I was hesitant about seeing a show I thought I had seen before, Gaga definitely proved me wrong. So keep the "Monster Ball" rolling!