First, she suspiciously played at a indie festival, now I get an email about Madonna Gallerie, a store set up in the lobby of W hotel, selling Madonna art, Madonna clothing, Madonna wines, and no doubt, her latest CD.

The press release read, “Madonna, the multi-Grammy winning cultural innovator has defined our era with a sound, style and vision that has inspired countless artists and millions of fans around the globe.  Having sold over 200 million albums worldwide, her most recent CD “Confessions On A Dancefloor” debuted at No. 1 in 29 countries and has sold over 5 million copies.  Her upcoming “Confessions Tour” was an instant sellout.”

To me, it smacks slightly of desperation— do you really need to tell us who Madonna is? But maybe, just maybe it really is, as the release said, “For the fans who just can't get enough of the Material Girl.” Afterall, Madonna said it best in her 1984 hit,  “Experience has made me rich, And now theyre after me…” The store, which opened on May 17th, will close on May 20th —fear not, Wild About Music (1450 2nd St., Santa Monica) will sell the same items and is open until the 25th.

You can buy limited edition hand-painted canvases, and photographs of Madonna that span her career. And yes, I did say wine, a Cabernet and a Pinot Grigio, and a non-alcholic wine will be available for purchase as well as tees and buttons and “other apparel.”

A portion of the proceeds will go to “various children's charities” though none are listed in the press release. Maybe she meant Lola and Rocco?

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