Saw Kylie Minogue in concert last night.  (40 percent of you just went, “Who?” 10% of you just went “Meh.”  And the other half of you just lost your EVER-LOVIN’ MINDS. )

Kylie is a beloved pop culture diva and icon … uh, anywhere but America.  But her show last night rivaled any big production concert I’ve ever seen, and yes, bitches, that includes Madonna.

There were a few things I wasn’t expecting along the way.  For instance, Kylie never took a break.  It was two hours on non-stop glam, glitz and gyrations.  Oh sure, Kylie had 119 costume changes, but she was only off the stage for a white-hot minute. Every part of her “Aphrodite” tour had some sort of theme, and it always included her ascending to the stage on top of some sort of pillar, throne, chariot, clamshell or statue of a winged horse.

I’ll say this much, girlfriend knows how to make an entrance.

The other thing I found shocking is that Kylie never lip-synced … period.   She’d finish a song and be slightly out of breath.  Right then I knew I’d gotten my money’s worth.  She’d whip the crowd in to a dancing frenzy and then throw in a slow ballad or two so the over-40 somethings could sit down.  (Kylie is 42 … she knows her audience.)

Everyone on stage towered over the petite singer … and that’s despite her traipsing around in 5+ inch platform shoes.  There were also platform boots, platform sandals and platformed platforms.  Her bio says she’s 5’2″.  It’s a lie.  She’s a teeny tiny waif-like thing.  Every time the wind machine would kick on, I was worried she’d be blown off the stage.  (Well, it didn’t help that all of her costumes were these Gaussian, Greco-Roman outfits … which would have acted like a sail to lift her in to the rafters.)

She sang all of her hits … and then near the end of the concert started asking the audience what THEY wanted to hear.   Eurythmics?  Done.  Some miscellaneous pop song from the early 90’s?  Done.  When she spotted a guy in the audience with a hastily written poster that read, “Please!  Can I get my picture with you?”, she stopped the concert and said, “Come on up!”  I think the kid actually bounded to the stage in one 20-foot leap.  Once he was within a foot of her … he started crying.  Lord, your one moment to shine and you become verklempt.  He grabbed one of the back-up singers and actually POSED him and Kylie.  She giggled.  “Don’t mind us,” she said while the guy was trying to figure out how to work his camera.  I’m sure it was blurry of him … he was shaking standing next to her.  S-H-A-K-I-N-G!

If you get a chance to see her before you die, do it.  Chances are you’ll have to go across the pond … but it’s SO worth it.  Kylie (and the world’s best dance troupe) will rock your face off.