“The ARTPOP performance at SXSW will be a completely one-off set and experience,” Gaga told Rolling Stone.
“I’ve been dreaming of this moment. It’s all about the music and the connection with the crowd, and I want the audience in Austin to see me live in a way I never have before. I love theatrics, but I started out singing at a piano with a Bud Light in a bikini. Performing at Stubb’s is a real blast from my past, I can’t wait to celebrate with the audience how far music can go when we believe and stick together. It’s moments like these that I live for. “There are personal brave moments when you face one person, and brave moments that help change the world, when you face many,” Gaga said. “Both are equally as important. My bravest acts have been the conceptual choices I’ve made when writing music. Whether I’m fighting for equal rights with Born This Way or fighting for creativity and art with ARTPOP, I’m always aware of the many I will face in opposition. With ARTPOP, I hope to inspire the audience at SXSW to cherish their individual talents. This simple act keeps music and art alive in a very commercial world.”
Gaga’s show was moved to a larger venue Stubb’s BBQ, after the city of Austin denied a permit for Mother Monster to perform at the original Bold Stage location because it was too small for the crowds that she might draw.