Review

The highest grossing solo tour in history from the greatest live-in-concert pop performer in history. So, what else do you need to know, huh? You want details? Fine. First of all, you may be wondering why this item is being pushed on our gay adult site. That one's easy: Experiencing M live in concert gets this particular reviewer off more than just about any porn. Deal with it. That being said, this show truly lives up to the hype surrounding it.

Coinciding with her 25th year in the public eye (holy shit, it's been that long?) and her "Hard Candy" album, M's Sticky & Sweet Tour launched in August of 2008 in Cardiff, Wales before hitting the States in October. (Name dropping time: I got to attend the October 6 show at NYC's Madison Square Garden with Chi Chi LaRue and Rascal Video's owners, sitting right at the catwalk. M noticed Chi Chi - who appeared in the "Deeper & Deeper" video - and gave the porn directress a nod and a smile; one of the coolest pop culture moments I've ever gotten to experience close-up.) It proved so successful that the woman added a second leg to it - something she'd never done before. This performance was culled from four December 2008 shows at Buenos Aires' River Plate Stadium.

From the Willy Wonka-esque "Sweet Machine" opening intro (the splitting-into-pieces screen is mesmerizing), "Beat Goes On" cut replete with pimped-out Speedster, and jaw-dropping performance of "Vogue" (the first time she's ever sung it live and not lip-synched), to the Chanel-draped explosion of color of the Romany-gypsy inspired "La Isla Bonita" and "Don't Cry for Me Argentina" from Evita (the only time the song was performed on this tour), if you don't find yourself entranced you must be dead.

There are plenty of other moments that kill: A Keith Haring influenced "Into the Groove" (with Mother double-dutch rope skipping); "Music" worked out as a homage/poking fun at other big pop stars (you'll recognize plenty of the spot-on moves from M and her stellar dance troupe); the scathing video interlude "Get Stupid" which caused an uproar during the U.S. election with its images of Adolf Hitler juxtaposed with John McCain along with calls to action to save the planet (it's an astounding piece of work); a raved-up version of "Like a Prayer" that for me is the show's highlight (it's beyond dramatic); the laser-laden finale "Give It 2 Me" complete with its demanded by the diva audience participation - like that cut's lyrics clearly spell out, I could go on and on and on.

Speaking of going on and on and on, whether you love her or hate her after witnessing this live performance event you'll marvel not only at her well-documented insane body, but her stamina, dedication, and professionalism as well. (This is 50? Are you fucking kidding me?!?) She's definitely made a deal with some other-worldly force, because this spectacle just ain't right. Like a junkie I attended the live show numerous times in various cities (gleefully busting my bank account in the process) and it never ceased to amaze.

The bonus footage is a scream in spots, and while it's carefully controlled (uh, hello - look who we're talking about here) it's fascinating. The bonus music CD that comes with the standard DVD version is a nice goodie, but is really more for mega-fans as it only features 13 live tracks. And to answer any of you cunts wondering how M holds up under the "glare" of Hi-Def - she looks luminescent on the Blu-ray, so suck on that motherfuckers.

There are tons of other moments I could point out and describe in detail, but just trust me when I say as a reviewer and not a fan this show will leave you plenty sticky, feeling super sweet, and maybe even a tad sweaty. In a word, wow. Strike that: Make that fucking wow.

 -- Keeneye Reeves

Sticky & Sweet was the most successful tour by a solo artist in history and was seen by over 3.5 million fans in 32 countries around the world. The show, available on DVD (with Bonus CD) and Blu-ray includes many of the Material Girl's hits from the course of her unprecedented career including, "4 Minutes," "Like a Prayer," "Hung Up" and "Ray of Light." Filmed in Buenos Aires, over four days to a crowd exceeding 256,000 fans, the concert also includes a show stopping moment when Madonna performs a historic "Don't Cry for Me Argentina" to a thunderous audience response from her Argentine fans. Also included are several hits from the multi-Grammy winner's most recent CD "Hard Candy" which debuted at No. 1 in 37 countries. The DVD and Blu-ray also include 30 minutes of exclusive footage filmed behind the scenes during the course of the tour.

The full-length concert features the following performances:
01. "Intro: The Sweet Machine"
02. "Candy Shop Medley"
03. "Beat Goes On Medley feat. Kanye West"
04. "Human Nature"
05. "Vogue"
06. "Die Another Day"
07. "Into the Groove"
08. "Heartbeat"
09. "Borderline"
10. "She's Not Me"
11. "Music"
12. "Rain/Here Comes the Rain Again"
13. "Devil Wouldn't Recognize You"
14. "Spanish Lesson"
15. "Miles Away"
16. "La Isla Bonita Medley"
17. "Me Darava/Doli Doli"
18. "You Must Love Me"
19. "Don't Cry for Me Argentina"
20. "Get Stupid (Remix)"
21. "4 Minutes feat. Justin Timberlake and Timbaland"
22. "Like a Prayer"
23. "Ray of Light"
24. "Like a Virgin"
25. "Hung Up"
26. "Give It 2 Me"

The bonus music CD includes the following tracks, all of which were recorded live during Madonna's 2008/2009 worldwide Sticky & Sweet tour:
01. "Candy Shop Medley"
02. "Beat Goes On Medley feat. Kanye West"
03. "Human Nature"
04. "Vogue"
05. "She's Not Me"
06. "Music"
07. "Devil Wouldn't Recognize You"
08. "Spanish Lesson"
09. "La Isla Bonita Medley"
10. "You Must Love Me"
11. "Get Stupid (Remix)"
12. "Like a Prayer"
13. "Give It 2 Me"