Katy Perry doesn’t just put on a concert, she launches a full on visual odyssey. On Monday night, the global pop icon returned to Chicago’s United Center for her first tour in seven years, transforming the arena into something between an alternate universe, a fashion runway, and a fever dream from the future.
And if you were in Milwaukee debating whether it was worth the drive down I-94; here are nine reasons why the answer should’ve been an emphatic yes.
1. Her Entrance. Her Ascension.
Forget your standard entrance. Katy Perry didn’t enter the stage at Chicago’s United Center, she arrived from another dimension. As the arena went dark, a glowing circular rig slowly lifted to the rafters, its LED tendrils pulsing with electric color and curling like the limbs of a futuristic creature. Suspended beneath it, Perry emerged in a sculpted electric-blue bodysuit that looked ripped from a cyberpunk fever dream, part android and part pop goddess. Shoulder plates, thigh-high armor, and a luminous sheen completed the look, giving her the presence of a queen from a glamorous dystopia. This opening moment blurred the line between pop concert and sci-fi spectacle.
2. It's been a hot (and cold) minute.
The last time Katy Perry took over the United Center? October of 2017. That’s seven years, one pandemic and zero to two presidents ago, depending on how you do your math. “The Lifetimes Tour” is her first since wrapping her Las Vegas residency and exiting American Idol, and she made the wait so worth it.
3. She literally went to space.
Last month, Katy Perry announced her tour setlist from space… literally. She floated around in zero gravity and released a butterfly-shaped setlist like it was no big deal. While the internet trolls had their opinions on her trip, and at one point last night Perry joked that she thought she was the “most hated person on the internet”, we call that dedication. Who needs a press release when you can announce your setlist from orbit? If she commuted to the show from outer space, you could have made the drive from Milwaukee.
4. We got to choose our own adventure.
During the evening, a QR code flashed across the United Center screens and fans got to vote on which extra tracks Katy Perry would perform, just for the Chicago crowd. For us? “The One That Got Away” and “Pearl”, gems that brought in a fun sense of spontaneity. Who knew democracy could be so catchy?
5. The outfits were iconic.
From the cyberpunk-armored bodysuit, to the chandelier-inspired encore outfit dripping with jewel-toned ornaments, Perry served countless looks throughout the evening.
6. She flew on a giant butterfly.
Not content with mere choreography (which was exceptional, by the way), Perry soared above the arena on a giant metallic butterfly during “Roar.” We have sky gliders at Summerfest, sure, but this was a whole new level of soaring above crowds of music fans.
7. The setlist was stacked; part new, part nostalgia.
Drawing from her new album “143”, Perry blended fresh tracks like “Artificial” and “Woman's World” with consecutive bangers like “Hot n' Cold,” “Last Friday Night,” and “Teenage Dream.” She closed with “Lifetimes” and of course “Firework”, one of her many hit singles. Not bad for a Monday night.
8. Chicago might be our rival… but the visit was worth it.
Sure, we’ll always side-eye their sports teams, scoff at their traffic, and insist that cheese curds beat Chicago style pizza every time. But when it comes to a pop concert of this magnitude? Monday night was worth the drive. Katy Perry delivered the kind of theatrical pop escapism we’ve all been craving.
9. Rebecca Black slays on weekdays as well.
Opening the show was none other than internet-icon-turned-club-siren Rebecca Black. Far from her childhood “Friday” days, she tore through synth-drenched tracks from “Salvation” like “Trust!” and “Sugar Water Cyanide,” delivering hedonistic confidence and queer pop rebellion that primed the crowd perfectly. She’s officially graduated from meme to main stage and will be a must see at Lollapalooza this summer.
