Lana Del Rey played the Hollywood
Forever Cemetery Saturday night, a setting so perfect for her lounge lizard
starlet crooner persona that one couldn’t be faulted for believing her music
was conceived amongst the graves of Hollywood’s famous deceased. The stage itself
was an ode to yesteryear California glamour, completed with palm trees and gothic candlesticks.
Backed by a stripped down rock trio and donning a green dress with a rosary
around her neck, Lana sought the sweet spot between Marilyn Monroe and Jesus
Christ, most explicitly stated in her third song of the evening, “Body
Electric.” After opening with “Cruel World” and “Cola,” laying down the
requisite tortured American girl lyrics, Lana delved into the song that best
showcases the connection between the sexual salvation she offers up in her
songs, sacrificing herself to abusive men while seeking the pleasures of the
flesh, and the flesh sacrifice of Jesus. The song rang out with deepened
meaning amongst the tombstones of men and women who undoubtedly sought
spiritual redemption in both religion and earthly pleasures, dabbling in the excess
for which Hollywood is legendary.
Lana Del Rey commands a cultish
devotion amongst her fans, in full force Saturday night. Girls with flowers in
their hair shrieked at Lana’s every gesture as she coyly waved to the crowd,
flashing smiles in between the concentrated singing of tales of tortured
excess. Yet for a singer notoriously obsessed with death in a setting that
could be described as morbidly appropriate, the concert was never mournful, and
Lana seemed to be in a downright cheerful mood. The evening served as a celebration
of Hollywood glamour, an ode to the very past from which Lana Del Rey draws her
inspiration.
The set delved into some of the
most popular tracks off of Born to Die
and Ultraviolence, including
rocked-up versions of “Blue Jeans” and “Born To Die,” as well as a haunting
version of “West Coast” that featured Lana soaring into operatic falsetto,
turning the song into aria for palm trees and movie stars. Descending from the
stage to engage in unholy communion with her audience, Lana posed for selfies
with fans and received gifts, including a book that looked like it could be
used for wedding photos, and a flower bouquet. “Ultraviolence” featured the
most straightforward ode to Hollywood Forever, as footage of the cemetery
played behind Lana as she sang about an abused starlet, as if the song was
emanating from the mausoleums themselves.
During a pause in the set the
audience began cheering for “Shades of Cool,” one of the strongest tracks from Ultraviolence and one that best
personifies the album’s thesis of Hollywood cool and glamour. Not having
prepared the song for the set, the band played it devoid of visuals or lights,
as Lana would be loathe to deprive her fans of the lines “He lives in
California, too/He drives a Chevy Malibu.” Often criticized for being an aloof
and stilted performer, such a concession to the audience showed Lana as anything
but, instead aware and willing to take a risk to make a musical connection. The
risk was worth it, and for the first time her fans got to hear one of the most
beautiful and moving tracks in her catalogue performed live.
The rest of the set featured more
subdued numbers, including torch song “Million Dollar Man” and the track for
which Lana is best known, “Video Games.” Before ending the set with the poppy
“National Anthem,” she said, “Hollywood Forever is one of the few places I go
to find solace and feel at home.” Indeed, a circle was completed Saturday night
for Lana Del Rey and her music, like she was coming home to the place where she
had always belonged, and would continue to belong forever.
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