Dangerous Woman? Ariana Grande Puts On ‘Disappointing’ Show In San Jose

It’s only been two months and Ariana Grande’s Dangerous Woman Tour is receiving mixed reviews. Her latest stop in San Jose was described as “confusing” and “disappointing” according to a report via the Mercury News. She failed to deliver in a recent concert at the SAP Center on Monday, March 27. Ariana is using her album and tour to be seen as more grown up, but she left the crowd perplexed.

The Mercury News published the review titled “What Was She Thinking?” Grande’s Dangerous Woman Tour has received rave reviews for its production level, but it still has some major gaps. Grande is one of those elements missing from her tour. The “Into You” singer disappears from the stage throughout the night. Since Grande is petite, it can be hard to see her on the grand stage.

“But the production is so poorly lit that it’s often hard to see her,” writes Jim Harrington. “She operates in near darkness for large stretches, as opposed to under the kind of bright spotlight that is used in most arenas.

“Combine the poor lighting with Ariana’s amazing lack of stage presence – something that has plagued her for years – and you’ve got the recipe for a real mess.”

Grande fails to captivate the audience with her stage presence, according to Harrington. He found the show a snooze fest. He also argued that Grande’s concert looked cheap as if it was “whipped together in about an hour’s time by people who have watched too many Madonna and Britney tour videos – and not the good Madonna and Britney tour videos. Maybe that’s why they decided to stage it in the near-dark, hoping that we wouldn’t see how trite it was.”

Grande and her 10 male backup dancers open up with the song “Be Alright,” which is the third track off her album. According to Harrington, she was anything but a dangerous woman when she disappeared among the sea of dancers, fog machines, and poor lighting. Grande then performed three other tracks, “Everyday,” “Bad Decisions,” and “Let Me Love You,” leaving her hit singles for last.

But, according to the Orange County Register, Grande put on a dangerous show in Anaheim, California. She took over the stage in her signature ponytail, thigh-high boots, and her cat ears. Grande sang every track off of Dangerous Woman instead of her hit songs from her first two albums – 2013’s Yours Truly and 2014’s My Everything. Madison Desler argues that Grande does have stage presence, no matter what her critics think.

“After closing the main set with ‘Into You,’ chants of ‘Ari, Ari, Ari’ quickly filled the arena. Grande returned for an encore, performing ‘Dangerous Woman’ in a black, patent leather trench coat, flame throwers going off behind her as she dragged the mic stand out to the end of the runway in the middle of the pit. It was a commanding moment, one that should silence the haters who routinely claim she has no stage presence.”

Grande is clearly growing up as she travels the world on her Dangerous Woman Tour. The 23-year-old has been trying to shed her Nickelodeon past. She’s no longer the girl who played Cat Valentine on Victorious and Sam and Cat. In her 2016 cover story with Billboard, Grande revealed that she has “a black latex Super Bunny within.”

“(Super Bunny) is my superhero, or supervillain, whatever I’m feeling on the day. Whenever I doubt myself or question the choices I know in my gut are right – because other people are telling me other things – I’m like, ‘What would that bad b**** Super Bunny do?’ She helps me call the shots.”

Though most of Grande’s fans are school age, her openers are all outspoken grown woman. Victoria Monet, the first opening act, addressed the political chaos in the atmosphere. Meanwhile, the British girl group Little Mix performed their LGBTQ anthem “Secret Love Song” to a roaring crowd, according to the Seattle Times.

Grande sang her song “Thinking ‘Bout You” with images of same-sex and straight couples flashing on the big screen behind her.

For her final song “Dangerous Woman,” Grande wears a black, floor-length leather dress. While she’s still young, she’s clearly all woman.

[Featured Image by Paras Griffin/Getty Images for iHeart]