Regarding the Cher concert in Las Vegas

[Editor's note] I've been trying to write this post for over a month. For reasons big and small I haven't been able to accurately quantify my experience with Cher. It boils down to a daunting feeling of trying to capture the full experience of something grand and glorious and knowing I'll come up short. But it’s finally clear to me now that any attempt at doing so would be a foolish endeavor. So in lieu of an overblown review, I offer some of the more magnificent portions of my pilgrimage.

Let’s start at the very beginning, a very good place to start: Seeing Cher live was essentially the culmination of 19 years of uninterrupted adoration. As one the few American musical acts that my mother knew and enjoyed, Cher's music was well known and continuously played at my house. I think my mother loved Cher for all the reasons gay men love her: her outrageous outfits, her larger-than-life persona, and that lustrous hair. In any case, loving Cher was instilled in me very early on.

This brings me to the night of October 2nd when my pal Franc and I saw Cher perform in the Colosseum at Caesars Palace. Sitting 6 rows away from her, Cher held my heart, mind, and lady bits in rapture for the entire run of the spectacle. Floating on stage in a skin-colored, skin-tight glittery body suit and the headdress/crown of an Egyptian asp, she looked like a radiant sun goddess descending.

From that point on, we were taken on a nonstop musical ride through decades of hits in Bob Mackie costumes.

Great moment #1: One of the best portions of the show was the leap back to 60s Cher. Complete with a video montage of her days with Sonny Bono, she delivered a couple of heart-warming renditions of "The Beat Goes On" and "All I Really Want to Do." No trip back would've been complete without Cher in a red sequined mini-dress, matching boots, and signature black hair (see below, left). Through it all, and for reasons that escape me, I could not stop staring at her legs. They were the most transcendent pair of gams I've ever seen.

Great moment #2: At one point, Cher brought out a huge gilded closet (see above, right) and proceeded to show us some of her best known costumes. She'd go in and come out fully dressed in themed regalia. First it was a beautifully bedazzled gypsy costume and she sang "Gypsies, Tramps & Thieves" and "Dark Lady." In she went again and came out in her legendary Native American headdress and sang "Half-Breed." To say that I practically lost my cookies seeing her in that ensemble is putting it mildly. If ever I wanted to be someone else it was Cher in that magical moment-- feathers and all.

Great moment #3: Admittedly, the following was not my proudest moment but certainly one of the most memorable. Picture it: the stage is adorned with strings of lights against a blue backdrop. Fog rolls in and the first few cords of “After All” echo throughout the hall. Cher glides in on a gondola—wearing a floor-length fur coat, pointed hat, and wielding a 6ft staff. ::Cue tears of joy:: To put it bluntly, I was a singing and crying mess. It’s at this crucial point that two of my audience neighbors (sisters and fellow Cher-obsessors from Jersey) took it upon themselves to comfort me through the song. It was then I realized the power of Cher to bring people together.

Great moment #4: As previously reported, I decorated a sailor hat to throw on stage during Cher’s “If I Could Turn Back Time” number. Disappointingly, no such toss happened. The Jersey sisters advised me not to throw the hat for two reasons: 1) apparently the hats became a tripping-hazard and 2) there was a big, hot but angry-looking security dude sitting at the base of the stage. Despite keeping the hat I worked hard on, the number was the most rousing of the night. As soon as I saw Cher walk out in that distinctive see-through black suit and poof of hair, I was on my feet. Before everyone else got to their feet, I was up and waving my sailor hat at her like a mad woman. Comparable only to my Tina Turner “Proud Mary” moment, this was a no holds barred gay explosion. She looked amazing. She sounded amazing. And she topped it off by ACTUALLY LOOKING AT ME! I could’ve died then and there and been perfectly OK to go.

And on that miraculous moment I close yet another installment of my Diva-watching journey. The more I see of these legends (See: Tina, Bette, Donna), the harder it gets to decide who was better than whom. As far as Cher is concerned, that brief moment where we locked eyes will forever be etched in my collective memory.