Concert Review: Katy Perry at the House of Blues (May 11)

by Brenna Rushing

The wacky pop singer showed Dallas a good time, giving fair competition to the Mavericks playoff being played down the street.

Although Katy Perry was raised in a seemingly strict home where secular music was not allowed, she has definitely come a long way to be one of the most popular mainstream pop stars of today. With her racy lyrics in songs like “Ur So Gay” and “I Kissed a Girl”, she made the crowd at the House of Blues chuckle while enjoying a great show Monday.

There were no gospel songs coming from Perry, who was raised by two pastors, at her show. Instead, the religiously raised singer entertained the sold-out crowd with her spunky persona and crazy outfits.

As soon as she stepped onstage her exceptional style was the first detail noted. Her 1920’s inspired red-fringed flapper dress moved freely as she zipped from one side of the stage to the other throughout the show. An inflatable arch made of strawberries, bananas and a giant cathead canopied the stage.

Brenna Rushing

She opened with “Fingerprints,” from her newest album One of the Boys. Not only can she sing just as well or superior live as compared to her album, she can also play the acoustic and electric guitar, which she picked up during “Hot N Cold” (her second platinum single.)

Her dramatic facial expressions added flare to her strong vocals and hand movements in each song. In the middle of the act, she showed off her dance moves after calling out a back row audience member to do the same. The entertainment apparently does not stop at songs during Katy Perry shows.

“Thinking of You” created the only quiet moment of the night because she played it acoustically and alone onstage. Her history as a young performer, she began recording with a band at the age of 15, really comes through in her interactivity with the audience and her humor. She made fun of countless fans and kept the jokes coming about her ex-boyfriends or other inspirations in her music.

Since one of her favorite bands is Queen she covered "Don't Stop Me Now," as well as the Outfield’s “Your Love.” Perry changed the words to the latter song to conform to her style more, adding, “Try to stop my head from spinning, too much to drink - not making sense,” among others. She came out to Queen engulfed in a pink leopard print cat suit, complete with pink cat ears and a tail.

As she stood elevated in the audiences’ arms for the ending, she sang the last notes of her platinum single, “I Kissed a Girl” with a giant inflated cherry chap stick behind her. Before she began the song, she asked a lucky girl in the audience if she had brought her cherry chap stick, stating that you have to bring it to her show. The girl unfortunately did not, so there was no kissing of the girl that night.

The Daylights opened for Katy Perry. They are a L.A. based band hailing from the one and only Dallas.