Lady Gaga at Xcel Energy Center, 2/6/13

Coupled with her many escapes to backstage, it often felt through the early portion of the set that the exclamations of "This is not a funeral, St. Paul!" and "Get your pussies off the floor and jump!" would be the extent of interaction -- but this is a Gaga show. And so there were motivational monologues ("Who is Lady Gaga? I am You") about her transition to stardom, her increasing age ("I'm gonna be 27 in a month"), etc.

As expected, her most connected moments came once she sat in a gaudy kimono behind her spiked and barnacled piano and let loose her voice. Opening with a story about her departed grandfather and his tireless work ethic, Gaga showed unmistakable emotion and pain. Her voice broke amid "The Edge of Glory," one of her collaborations with the departed E Street Band saxophonist Clarence Clemons, and it was rapturous. After continuing the family history with a nod to Bruce Springsteen tucked in there, she followed with her return to "Born This Way," stripped bare, and then rose to the triumphant "You & I," which she introduced as a country song. It was at this point in the night that she seemed most at ease, draping herself in an American flag, head-banging herself out of a bandana.

The rest of the way proved a mix of her Latin-inspired numbers, as well as her meat-inspired set design. First, she donned a meat dress for a feisty "Americano," then squeezed her way through the grinder for "Poker Face," and then ended up reclining on a couch that appeared to be made out of enough steak to feed the NFL during "Alejandro." It was hard-fought fun compared to the dark exteriors of the early material of the set, but the grimness had not completely lifted.

"Paparazzi" is arguably a top three Gaga song, both for its arrangement and subject matter, and as she delivered it from a turret in a giant black SWAT helmet waving a scepter/flashlight from one of her turrets, it brought back the cold reality of the set's early going. As big as she has become, Lady Gaga knows that the adoring fan right next to her puts up their own barriers in return when they raise their cell phone to take a picture.

Photos by Picture Group

And so, after the set-closing "Scheibe," which prompted the tossing of gifts on the front steps of her castle, she absconded once again to her dark lair to conjure up the strength for one more moment of real talk for the rest of us. She emerged to perform "Marry the Night" for the encore and brought seven fans onstage who looked like extras from a music video. Visibly moved, they followed her around the stage and catwalk and sang along, held her mic for her, and appeared remarkably comfortable being inches from their idol. Only blowing up the castle at the conclusion would've been a better metaphor for her final, and most-open moment.