Lady Gaga Stages Triumphant Return to Lollapalooza

Lady Gaga's headlining set at Lollapalooza Friday night brought more eye candy than a Madonna concert and was on par with the athleticism of Beyonce's road show. But what Gaga brought with her, often lacking in pop music, was a dose of sincerity. "I didn't use to be brave, in fact I wasn't really brave at all. I got made fun of in school, I got rejected. But you have made me brave, little monsters, so I'm gonna be brave for you."

Gone was the pretentiousness that comes with being a major pop star. Sure, she brought a giant octopus on stage, set her breasts on fire and told the crowd she has a really big dick, but Gaga's bigger message Friday evening was, "You can be anyone you want to be" -- that anything is possible.

Gaga's Lollapalooza Cinderella story began three years ago, when she played the festival's tinier BMI stage to what she described to the crowd as skeptics with their mouths agape. She reportedly earned around $1,000 for her set then, as an unsigned artist. This year she was paid $250,000, according to Lollapalooza founder Perry Farrell, a handsome increase for any touring musician in that given time span. She also drew thousands to her stage -- thousands that in years past normally would be gathering to see the guitar shred of Radiohead or the Red Hot Chili Peppers, not some leotard-clad waif dancing in stilettos with Grace Jones lookalikes behind her.

I stopped counting after six costume changes. Gaga sported three different ensembles during her rendition of 'Monster' alone. "I made this bra in a good-looking guy's bed six years ago," she told the crowd of the sentimental value of her disco bra before powering through 'Telephone.' "I wore this bra at Lollapalooza three years ago." She would get sentimental again. bringing out her former DJ Lady Starlight and doing an impromptu 30-second headbang to Metallica in homage to their set in 2007. Gaga gave a shout out to her dad. "I wrote this song about all the drunk a--holes in my life but it's also about my favorite drunk a--hole -- my dad," she told the crowd before powering through 'Speechless' as her father watched on from the soundbooth.

While she sang from a riser that lifted from center stage, played inventive instruments -- one that looked like a giant morphed harp/guitar, another that was a purple cone-shaped keyboard -- Gaga also mellowed out for several songs at the piano including the new song 'You and I.' She told fans she had been writing a lot on the road and her next record would be inspired by the highway, rock 'n' roll and real true love.

For her final songs Gaga whipped out the hits -- 'Alejandro,' 'Poker Face' -- where she bathed in a blood bath beneath an angel statue -- 'Paparazzi' and closer 'Bad Romance.' And for all those people that usually come to see rock n roll, Gaga certainly put it into perspective: "Thank you so much from the bottom of my heart for coming to the show tonight," she said. "You f---ing rock 'n' roll."

Watch Gaga's performance of 'Bad Romance' at last night's show: