Night one of Lady Gaga’s Mayhem Ball at San Francisco’s Chase Center was less a concert and more a feverish ritual, equal parts glam opera, industrial rave, and liberation rally. The first of three sold-out shows in the city, it felt like a once-in-a-generation performance that merged Gaga’s past, present, and future into something darkly transcendent.
The set design, a towering, Italian marble-inspired fantasy, evoked something between the Vatican and a haunted castle. Each act unfolded like its own chapter in a surreal pop opera, complete with dance solos, skeletons, biblical motifs, and a shifting palette of LED-lit bracelets that turned the crowd into a pulsing, multicolor organism.
Gaga played ringleader, oracle, and rock star, seamlessly transitioning from club bangers to brooding ballads. Early in the show, Gaga unveiled the darkly hypnotic “Garden of Eden,” setting the tone with its serpentine energy and biblical overtones. That led into a gothic, slowed-down rendition of “Poker Face,” delivered with theatrical menace and cinematic flair. Then came “Abracadabra,” which began a cappella, Gaga’s isolated vocals casting a spell over the crowd, before it exploded into motion, dancers writhing like serpents beneath a crimson glow.
Are you ready to celebrate your freedom—the one that belongs to you?”
Lady Gaga
The show was divided into acts, giving it the structure of a theatrical production rather than a traditional pop set. Interludes featured everything from a brutal heavy metal breakdown to a tribal drum solo that rattled the rafters.
The most unforgettable moment of the night came during a radically reimagined “Paparazzi.” Gaga appeared on stage with crutches, a striking visual that recalled Marilyn Manson at his most provocative. Flanked by skeletons and wrapped in gauze, she leaned into the grotesque glamor of fame, delivering the song with icy detachment and eerie vulnerability.
Newer songs like “Killah,” “Lovedrug,” “Shadow of a Man,” and “Kill for Love” hinted at a rawer, darker sonic direction, equal parts industrial rock and synthetic soul. Yet they fit seamlessly among the classics, revealing a throughline of defiance and transformation.
Right before launching into “Born This Way,” Gaga addressed the crowd with a fiery sermon: “Are you ready to celebrate your freedom—the one that belongs to you?” The crowd exploded. In that moment, the Chase Center became a church of self-acceptance, with Gaga as its fearless preacher.
For the encore, Gaga honored her hero Ozzy Osbourne, who had passed away earlier that day, by emerging to the blaring sound of “Crazy Train,” letting the anthem speak for itself as a raw and reverent tribute from one metalhead to another.
The Mayhem Ball isn’t just a tour, it’s a spectacle of self-expression and survival. With two more nights ahead, Gaga has already made it clear: mayhem isn’t something to fear, it’s something to celebrate.
