Because of the silly line limit, this will be a multi-part post. In light of our recent "sell-out vs NON-sell-out" thread, I find this article very timely.

PHILADELPHIA — Even before the doors of the First Union Center swung open for the U.S. debut of Madonna's Drowned World Tour on Saturday night, Greg Packer knew exactly what he was in for.

Because of the global media attention on the European leg of the tour — the pop icon's first in eight years — stateside fans had no problem getting a sneak peek. Parker, who made the trek to Philly from Huntington, New York, knew about the cowboy hats, the mechanical bull, the guitar and all the other tricks Madonna had up her sleeve. No surprises lay ahead for Packer, but frankly, he didn't care.

"This is the U.S. of A., and what happened in Europe doesn't matter," declared Packer, who has been a fan since he heard "Holiday" in 1983.

"If you're into Madonna and you're a fan, it shouldn't matter," said Johnny March of Brooklyn, New York — a fan since he laid his eyes on Madonna's "Sex" book in 1992.

The spoiler-rich coverage of the tour did little to dampen spirits outside the First Union Center, where fabulousness was the statement of the day. Jeweled Western shirts and glittering baby-Ts twisted and bounced as fans, grooving to "Beautiful Stranger," got a dance floor going next to a souvenir stand. Consider it Maddy Gras, with cowboy hats instead of jeweled masks, feathered boas instead of strings of beads, and revelers high on "Borderline" rather than boozy frozen drinks. The surreal feel of the festivities benefited greatly from the culture clash provided by the Philadelphia Phillies baseball game across the street at Veterans Stadium.

Madonna-bes abounded, most going for the hipster cowgirl look, but a few passing themselves off as "Like a Virgin" brides. A couple University of Delaware students sported the denim-and-lace "Dress You Up" look that was popular before they hit kindergarten. "I've been a fan since the age of 5, and at this grand old age of 21 I still enjoy her rebel antics," Jennifer Kroll said.

For those who made the trek to Philly, it was less about the setlist than about simply basking in the Madonna-ness of it all. "She could just stand there and shut up, and I would be happy," said Theresa Svengart, a "Papa Don't Preach"-era convert who came to the show from Sweden by way of Brooklyn.

Fortunately, Madonna offered a lot more than that after the lights went down Saturday night, faithfully deploying the show that wowed 'em on the continent — thick with new material and heavy on the theatrics. Backed by curtains of coarse metal pounded into sleek angles, the most famous woman in the world emerged in a cloud of smoke and made a grand vocal entrance with the musically spartan "Drowned World/Substitute for Love."

Over the course of the evening, U.S. fans finally got to meet the five faces of Madonna that had been making the rounds in Europe: punk stylist, geisha avenger, electric cowgirl, Latin songbird and queen pimp. Punk-rock Maddy and her mohawk-topped dancers (including one gamely sporting a Dead Kennedys vest) worked through "Drowned World/Substitute for Love" and "Impressive Instant" before Madonna strapped on a guitar for "Candy Perfume Girl" — and proved she knows at least as many chords as Sum41.