CONCERT PREVIEW
Miley Cyrus
With Icona Pop. 7 p.m. March 25. $19.50-$89.50. Philips Arena, 1 Philips Drive, Atlanta. 1-800-745-3000, www.ticketmaster.com.
“We built the show around me and my ADD,” Miley Cyrus said a few weeks before her “Bangerz” tour launched on Valentine’s Day. “The most important thing is making a show that people remember … there will be a lot of imagination.”
Her description of her carnival-like road show, which comes to Philips Arena March 25, is apt, judging from recent reviews.
Cartoons from “Ren & Stimpy” creator John K., life-size bobbleheads, animal costumes, a slide in the form of the most infamous tongue this side of Gene Simmons — all have a place in Cyrus’ concert.
So do songs — 19 of them, including a countrified cover of OutKast’s “Hey Ya!” and sway-along hits “We Can’t Stop” and “Wrecking Ball” (though you’ll have to wait for the encore to hear them).
Cyrus, who turned 21 in November, is determined to ruffle parents who still want her to be “Hannah Montana”-appropriate.
Whether you find her shenanigans offensive or think she’s nothing more than this generation’s version of Madonna writhing around in a wedding dress is your prerogative.
But one thing is certain — Cyrus is shrewd.
In a pre-tour conference call with a handful of reporters (during which questions could only be submitted online and screened), Cyrus talked rapidly, confidently and genuinely about her fans, her road rituals and why she’s a fan of Atlanta rapper Future.
On connecting with fans:
“I make my albums to be able to travel and go on the road. That’s what I love to do more than anything. I haven’t gotten to see my fans sing along to my (new) songs. I want to make (the show) something fun, and like anything I do, I don’t want anything to seem fake or be unoriginal. The best thing for an artist is to see people sing along with your songs. Sometimes that’s hard. Sometimes there are people in the front row with their cellphones in front of their face … I don’t have a hard time making fun of myself. We’re definitely keeping it fun, and that’s what I think I’m representing in the past year. And I talk a lot!”
On giving her fans “junk”:
“I’m a little bit of a hoarder. It’s my mom’s worst nightmare. I hope my fans become hoarders, also. I’m giving a lot of junk away. Even if confetti comes down, you’ll want to keep it. I want to continue to do things differently.”
About her image:
“I understand that a lot of my fans are young. … This is about putting my money into something I care about, which has been my tour. It’s not about me, it’s really about my fans this entire tour.”
Why she has an acoustic set in the show:
“I made it really important that we have a big acoustic section. It’s about a 90-minute show and the acoustic set can go on as long as I want. It will depend on the city, if they’re into it.”
What she does during free time on the road:
“We get stuck on these 30-hour drives, but I love to be able to bring my motorbike behind the bus. On tour I get to feel like I’m a little bit normal.”
The look of her tour bus:
“I haven’t gotten to be on a bus in a while. Last time, I decked it all out with a Christmas tree and that (stuff). All of my friends and I will want to make the bus look like a Barbie dollhouse. I’m sure it will make every dude want to puke.”
Her pre-show ritual:
“It depends. If I get nervous, I have to lock it down, like, three hours before the show. Sometimes I’m having fun with the dancers, but sometimes I need a few hours to get my mind right. It depends on how much I’ve been traveling. A lot of this (stuff) is mental, but it’s really a workout. You have to do it every night and build up the stamina.”
On possible guests on the tour:
“I have friends who worked on my album in a lot of cities. If I can get (Atlanta’s) Future and Juicy J to come out on a few shows, I’m going to drag them out.”
How she and Future hooked up:
“We know each other through (Atlanta-bred) Mike Will (who produced ‘Bangerz’). Me and Mike are like family. Future was someone who liked me because of my voice. He wanted to work with me not because of what he knew. He became a fan of me and my music. We’re really close. I love working with people who are new, and he’s had platinum records, but I’m able to introduce him to my fans and he does the same with his fans.”
What’s on her tour rider:
“I’m the most chill (artist). When I was younger, it used to be ‘Guitar Hero’ and Frosted Flakes. Now I don’t want the Frosted Flakes … just the ‘Guitar Hero.’ ”
