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Live From New York!
Image Credit: Sacha Lecca for Rolling Stone
Cyndi Lauper brought her career-spanning “Girls Just Want to Have Fun Farewell Tour” to her hometown of New York on Wednesday night, dazzling the sold-out Madison Square Garden crown with her incredible voice and charmingly quirky stories.
Confetti Heralds Lauper’s Arrival on Stage
Image Credit: Sacha Lecca for Rolling Stone
Lauper’s joyous, sold-out show on Wednesday struck a sharp contrast with Donald Trump and his MAGA fans’ hate-filled takeover of Madison Square Garden on Sunday. Earlier on Wednesday, Lauper shared a video on social media of her “doing an interpretive dance before my show to restore love and light to the Garden.”
Never Give Up
Image Credit: Sacha Lecca for Rolling Stone
Lauper talks about her ealy days in New York and walking past the post office building on Eighth Avenue and memorizing the motto, “Neither rain nor snow nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds.”
“That’s me,” she says, before launching into another hit.
Coming Home
Image Credit: Sacha Lecca for Rolling Stone
This was Lauper’s frist time headlining at Madison Square Garden and she regaled the enthusiastic crowd with lots of funny stories and underwent several costume changes on stage
Goonies Never Say Die
Image Credit: Sacha Lecca for Rolling Stone
Before performing “The Goonies ‘R’ Good Enough,” from the 1985 movie, The Goonies, Lauper told the crowd she recently met the actor Andrew Garfield, who told her he identified as a Goonie. As she belted the song, the very 1980s music video — featuring wrestlers “Captain” Lou Albano, “Rowdy” Roddy Piper, Wendi Richter, and members of the movie’s cast — played on screens behind her.
An Icon
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The 71-year-old recently told Rolling Stone‘s Rob Sheffield, “I haven’t done an arena tour since ‘86. I’m excited because I get to have all these fantastic young women on tour with me. So many years, I was told I can’t do a women’s tour because nobody will go see it. ‘Women don’t sell like men sell.’ Then I toured with Cher and we played for a million people. So bullshit.”
I Love U, Baby, That’s No Lie
Image Credit: Sacha Lecca for Rolling Stone
Lauper’s vocals were in top form on Wednesday, wowing the crowd with hits like the cover of Prince’s “When You Were Mine.”
Behind the Wheel
Image Credit: Sacha Lecca for Rolling Stone
Lauper’s white drapey top doubled as a projector screen the performance of her 1989 hit “I Drove All Night.” The original music video for this song, had a similar effect.
Staying Strong
Image Credit: Sacha Lecca for Rolling Stone
Lauper told Rolling Stone‘s Rob Sheffield recently that she found her voice by making a “mistake and went with it, because you know, strong and wrong, right? You go wrong, stay strong. You can’t change. You have to just stay there.”
Giving the Gays Glamour
Image Credit: Sacha Lecca for Rolling Stone
As she changed into a long, black tuxedo-like dress with a long, feathery train, Lauper told the audience that Christian Siriano, the designer, told her she needed some dramatic looks for the tour because “the gays need glamour.”
Wardrobe Changes
Image Credit: Sacha Lecca for Rolling Stone
Lauper then took off her Tweety-Bird-yellow wig and propped it on the mic stand next to her. “Glamour takes a second, guys. It’s not just glamour, it’s art.” She performed, “Sally’s Pigeons,” a song about a childhood friend who died as a result of a “back-alley” abortion, wearing her wig cap.
If You’re Lost You Can Look …
Image Credit: Sacha Lecca for Rolling Stone
Sam Smith joined Lauper on stage for a heartfelt version of “Time After Time.” The duo previously performed together at the White House in 2022 when President Biden signed the Respect for Marriage Act into law. The arena glowed as thousands of fans turned on their cellphone lights during the song.
Money Changes Everything
Image Credit: Sacha Lecca for Rolling Stone
Lauper never stopped moving as she belted out a banging “Money Changes Everything” and eventually rolled around on the stage and mixed up with members of her backing band.
Change of Costume, Change of Location
Image Credit: Sacha Lecca for Rolling Stone
During her Madision Square Garden show, Lauper moved over to a second stage, set up at what would be half-court at a Knicks game.
Beautiful Like a Rainbow
Image Credit: Sacha Lecca for Rolling Stone
Lauper always loves to combine music and art and her Madison Square Garden show was no exception. She performed “True Colors” with a multi-colored scarf that seemed to be something of a dance partner at times.
Singing Out, Speaking Out
Image Credit: Sacha Lecca for Rolling Stone
Lauper soke about her organization Girls Just Want to Have Fundamental Rights Fund, which, she said, collects funds for “safe and legal abortions… women’s healthcare, prenatal care, postnatal care, cancer screenings — women’s health.” She also encouraged the thousands of women in the crowd to vote to take care of themselves.
I Want to Be the One to Walk in the Sun
Image Credit: Sacha Lecca for Rolling Stone
The finale was, of course, the anthem “Girls Just Want to Have Fun.” Lauper and her band performed in red polka dot outfits from the artist Yayoi Kusama and the screens on stage displayed similar patterns.
Lauper’s next stop on her farewell tour is Nashville.
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