San Diego Reader

The Lady Gaga show at Viejas Arena was a spectacle. The set design featured neon signs of roadside motels and gas stations and a fluorescent green car (with a keyboard hidden under the hood), elaborate costumes (designed by Gaga), and sexy choreography, all playing into a slick performance.

Gaga's talent can't be denied. In addition to writing all her own songs, she surrounds herself with world-class musicians, singers, and dancers.

With songs such as “Dance in the Dark,” “Glitter and Grease,” and “Just Dance,” she worked the crowd into a frenzy early and kept them there all night, all the way through to her radio and club hits “Poker Face,” “Paparazzi,” and her latest chart-topper “Born This Way.”

The highlight for me was Gaga sitting at a flaming piano, and I've seen Keith Moon smash his drums, Pete Townsend smash his guitars, and Keith Emerson throw knives at his Hammond. Don't get me wrong; I'm not comparing Gaga to those rock legends, but a half-naked blonde casually sitting at a flaming piano singing a ballad was pretty damn cool.

• Concert: Lady Gaga
• Date: March 29
• Venue: Viejas Arena
• Seats: Sec F, Row 10, Seat 8