Madonna's critics grow louder on eve of Detroit show

By Eric Lacy | elacy@mlive.com MLive.comon November 07, 2012 at 10:32 AM, updated November 07, 2012 at 2:10 PM

Madonna performed during halftime of Super Bowl XLVI in Indianapolis and now prepares for Thursday's Detroit tour stop. The reviews of previous shows haven't been too flattering. Associated Press

DETROIT, MI - Madonna reportedly has a lot to prove when she steps foot Thursday night on the Joe Louis Arena stage.

The envelope-pushing megastar, born in Bay City and raised in Rochester, has received some flak for lackluster shows on her current tour.

A Detroit Free Press story, posted on a Gannett-owned website called First Coast News, questions whether or not the 54-year-old can still command pop culture.

The Daily Mail out of London reported in July that hundreds of fans walked out of a Madonna concert there and claimed it was the "worst ever."

This report includes some wild photos from the tour stop that include Madonna putting a fake gun to her head.

If you're wondering, tickets for Thursday's Detroit show appear sold out; there seemed to be some single tickets available over the weekend.

A website called TribLive reported Wednesday that Madonna's Pittsburgh show Tuesday, on election night, was a mix of politics and high energy.

A snippet from what seems to be a relatively positive review of the show:

The shows scenes included one in a diorama-like hotel room, with an armed Madonna singing Revolver as she overcomes her lover. For the song Express Yourself, Madonna and her band members dressed up in red and white marching band outfits, with Madonna twirling a baton. One of the evenings highlights came with the singing of the powerful 1989 hit Like a Prayer, where members of Madonnas troupe put on church robes and played the role of choir, with gothic church images on the backing screen graphics.

This website review, however, does mention a few flaws with the performance, and the fact "many" adults left the show before it ended at 1 a.m.

Another snippet:

Madonna inconvenienced us by beginning her set some 40 minutes after it was supposed to start at 10 p.m., and didnt offer an explanation for the long delay, which she has been known to do at many concerts. But the show was so fabulous that it was worth the delay, annoying as it was.

Are you going to Thursday's Detroit show? If so, what are your expectations?

Are you a Madonna fan? Is she past her prime?

Let us know in our! comments! section.