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Photos by John James Wallace

This past Monday and Tuesday at the Xcel Energy Center were definitely nights to remember, as thousands upon thousands of fans converged to see the biggest pop star of 2010 perform live. And the Lady certainly did not disappoint. Through over 14 costume changes and numerous set reconfigurations, Gaga wowed the audience with her creativity and flair for the uber-dramatic.

After getting gussied up at the beautiful Saint Paul Hotel, where we had a suite for the evening, we strolled over with a handful of friends to the Xcel. And talk about a spectacle! As you’ll see in the photos below, attendees went all-out. From fishnet body suits to beanie baby get-ups and just about everything else in between, Gaga’s fans were loud and proud and not messing around.

Opening act Semi Precious Weapons

Thanks to our friend Emma Berg, who made Xcel’s personal gift to Gaga – a Lady Slipper-inspired jacket – we got the royal treatment: a box suite in which to watch the show, which also featured openers Semi Precious Weapons. Chocolate fountains and a make-your-own martini bar aside, getting to comfortably experience an arena show without having to be crushed in the crowd was pretty spectacular. The show itself was mind-blowing, with Gaga strutting and preening for the sold out arena, taking time to point out fans in the crowd and comment on their wild looks and their hand-made signs, all the time reiterating her genuine appreciation for their love. A gracious hostess if there ever was one.

Emma Berg jacket created for Lady Gaga

After the show, we retired with friends to the Saint Paul Hotel for champagne and recapping into the wee hours, and as we snuggled into our million thread-count sheets and downy pillows, visions of Gaga danced in our heads. All in all, a fantastic night in Saint Paul.

Want to see more of John’s photos from the show??? Click HERE for pix of Semi Precious Weapons, click HERE for more pix of Lady Gaga, and click HERE for more fan pix!

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Lady Gaga is bringing her over-the-top stage show to St. Paul for a whopping two-night stand at the Xcel Energy Center on Monday and Tuesday. Little monsters, it’s time to get geared up for a Capital City night of epic proportions!

Lady Gaga's Monster Ball tour

A Night of (Little) Monster Proportions

After the shows on Monday and Tuesday nights, you have plenty of opportunities to party. First hit up the Lady Gaga after parties at Camp Bar happening both nights after the concert. (There will be happy hour specials for ticket holders before the concert, too.) Expect a Gaga-rific soundtrack and hot dance floor, drinks specials galore (including a $5 Gaga-tini all day and a dollar off anything else with your ticket stub, 2-4-1s on taps and rails from 4-6 p.m. and midnight-2 a.m.), plus tons of people-watching opportunities! (490 Robert St. N., St. Paul, 651-292-1844, camp-bar.net‎)

At that point, you’ll probably want to make a night of it and stay at one of St. Paul’s many hotel options – but the only one fit for a queen of Gaga’s stature is the historic Saint Paul Hotel. Hang out in their swanky hotel bar or hop over to the Saint Paul Grill located within the building. Take in the decadent architecture and accoutrements, as well as the impossibly glorious view. (Saint Paul Hotel, 350 Market St., St. Paul, 651-292-9292‎, www.saintpaulhotel.com)

If you still haven’t gotten tickets, there are still a few available for the Tuesday night show. Tickets are priced from $51.50 to $177 at Ticketmaster, livenation.com, the Xcel box office and 1-800-359-2525.

Local Connection

Emma Berg's Lady Gaga jacket sketch

The Xcel Energy Center usually gives its visiting celebs and performers a Wild hockey jersey or something similar, but in the case of Lady Gaga, they’ve gotten a bit more creative.

The Xcel has commissioned local fashion designer Emma Berg to create a custom, one-of-a-kind fashion piece for the pop icon and we can’t think of a better match. Berg’s own distinctive, over the top personal style and fashion design skills make her a natural choice for such a project. The piece (pictured in the above sketch) will be a white swing-style jacket with a tall collar, in white satin with black and pink accents, inspired by the state flower: the ladyslipper.

Dress the Part

A Gaga superfan (Via TheMidwasteland.com)

Gaga’s show-goers are known to really go all out when it comes to their outfits. Though you probably can’t afford her custom couture or designer swag, you can find ways to DIY if you’re creative.

Hot Topic has a knockoff version of Lady Gaga’s Jeremy Scott/Linda Farrow flip-glasses she wore in the “Paparazzi” video for only $12.99. Or get some big flat-top shades and glue on a bunch of gems for her The Fame cover album look. Claire’s and For Love 21 have lace bunny ears, akin to Gaga’s Maison Martin Margielas, for under $10. (Or you can make your own.)

Gaga's Viva Glam! lipstick

Bold hair and makeup is a Gaga trademark. Dye your hair in pink or yellow streaks like Gaga’s via Manic Panic hair dyes – or wrap them up in makeshift Diet Coke can curlers a la the “Telephone” video. You can still nab her powdery pink Viva Glam! lipstick at MAC for about $15.

Big shoes are a must. Try Forever 21 or Heartbreaker for some platform shoes – or hit up Hot Topic for some goth monsta-stompas. If you are really daring, take a trip to the local stripper store for some sky-high pumps. Sounds scandalous, but you really aren’t going to get taller shoes anywhere else.

DIY Gaga studded jacket

Entrepreneurial spirits will want to craft their own Gaga goods. Buy a cheap faux-leather cropped motorcycle-style jacket (Forever 21 has one for $34.80) and hot-glue on your own studs (which you should be able to find at any craft store).

Underneath, a glittery, shiny or see-through bodysuit will do – and try layering tights or leggings underneath if you’re feeling a bit body-conscious. American Apparel is the obvious go-to for bodysuits, but they’re popping up everywhere lately, from Urban Outfitters to Hot Topic to Forever 21.

It’s an acoustic weekend in St. Paul, with national heavyweights Jason Mraz and Dar Williams, along with local favorites Haley Bonar, who is back with her first local show since moving to Portland earlier this summer, and Michael Rossetto and Nicholas Lemme of Spaghetti Western String Co. Other highlights: The Nightowl Classic Bike Ride makes its way from Minneapolis to St. Paul; Jazz Implosion at the Clown Lounge; and local calypso music at the Minnesota History Center’s 9 Nights of Music.

Jason Mraz

THURSDAY: Jason Mraz, K’Naan, G. Love & Special Sauce + Bushwalla at Xcel Energy Center
Sure, Jason Mraz is a huge star, finding success with his blues-pop sound that only seems to be expanding with last year’s We Sing. We Dance. We Steal Things. The Virginian singer-songwriter will try his hand on putting his intimate sound in the colossal Xcel, with a slew of energetic openers, K’Naan being the most intriguing of which. The Somali-born Canadian hip-hop artist blends an African folk influence into his songs about poverty, injustice, and of course, Somali pirates. (7 p.m. $25-45. All ages. 199 W. Kellogg Blvd., St. Paul. 651-265-4800.)

Also Thursday: Music in Mears features Latin hip hop band Maria Isa and a screening of “Field of Dreams”; Ghostband turn up the volume with their difficult-to-categorize trippy electro sound at Big V’s.

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This weekend and early next week, St. Paul’s got loads of options to keep your nightlife buzzing. Local psychedelic rockers Vampire Hands have their LP release at the Turf, while Tracy Chapman delivers her stripped-down, bluesy acoustic act at the O’Shaughnessy, Christians rock Harriet Island, and Blink-182 reunite at Xcel.

40 Oz. To Freedom

THURSDAY: 40 Oz. To Freedom at Station 4
Sublime tribute band 40 Oz. To Freedom, named for the band’s most only album, has developed a following in its own right. The San Diego four-piece have been on the road for years, giving the popular reggae punk-rock band’s catalog of much-loved tracks like “What I Got” a fresh twist. It doesn’t hurt that frontman Dane Scott shares a striking resemblance in both vocals and appearance to Bradley Nowell, who died of a drug overdose in 1996 shortly before the band released its debut album. (8 p.m. $12-15. 201 E. 4th St., St. Paul. 651-298-0173.)

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