[17] Cyrus began rehearsals later that month,[18] at which time John Kricfalusi, creator of The Ren & Stimpy Show, was enlisted[19] to create artwork and animation for the tour.
She also added that the Bangerz tour stage production was "impressive", but even without the bells and whistles, Cyrus would have been able to pull off an "unforgettable pop experience.
Cyrus, in a red leotard, entered the stage from a slide that appeared where her tongue would be located; and performed "SMS (Bangerz)", joined by people dressed as furries and cartoon characters while an animation by John Kricfalusi, creator of The Ren and Stimpy Show, plays on screen.
The next act began with Cyrus, in a black and white feathered outfit, performing "Can't Be Tamed", accompanied by an inflatable replica of her late dog Floyd.
Cyrus then had a brief outfit change before performing "On My Own" where she was surrounded by her dancers dressed as colorful animals, and "Someone Else" where she rode a flying hot dog above the audience.
Following this, she re-appeared in a white leotard to perform "We Can't Stop" and "Wrecking Ball" followed with dark blue lasers being projected from behind the video screen.
Cyrus then said her goodbyes to the audience and exited the stage while fireworks were shot into the sky with elements of the United States National Anthem playing in the background.
Victoria Pavlova from Contact Music spoke favorably of Cyrus' stage presence and wardrobe, and stated that her entrance was "enough to recommend the show right there.
"[27] Mike Wass from Idolator described the performance as being "weird and wonderful" and jokingly called it the musical version of the film Spring Breakers (2012).
"[25] Writing for Rolling Stone, Denise Sheppard noted that "the fact that there really wasn't anything jaw-droppingly shocking about the entire night" was the most unexpected component of the concert, and felt that Cyrus achieved her goal of being viewed as a legitimate singer instead of primarily receiving attention for her controversial behavior.
"[29] Shawn Conner from USA Today wrote that Cyrus' performance proved that "the time has come to move the conversation [...] beyond the notorious move she pulled on Robin Thicke at last year's MTV Video Music Awards"; he spoke favorably of the on-screen visuals seen alongside Cyrus and appreciated that she did not lip sync along pre-recorded tracks.
"[32] Adam Graham from The Detroit News gave a positive review of the performance in Auburn, writing the show "is like a blast of confetti to the face, a dizzying, non-stop party that leaves you reeling and questioning what you just saw.
"[34] Glenn Gamboa of the Newsday praised the show and Cyrus' vocals, writing "...She then proceeded to take on Bob Dylan's "You're Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go", The Smiths’ "There Is a Light That Never Goes Out", Lana Del Rey's "Summertime Sadness" and Dolly Parton's "Jolene" with no special effects or choreographed moves – just her powerful voice.
"[36] Dan DeLuca of The Philadelphia Inquirer, also gave a positive review, writing, "... she was straightforward and serious minded when it came to augmenting her own material – she performed all of Bangerz, plus two older hits, "Can't Be Tamed" and "Party in the U.S.A." – with a selection of covers designed to challenge herself.
The show is also funny, and doesn't come off as pre-programmed and scripted as most over the top arena spectacles... that unpredictable eclecticism is just a broad stroke representation of the new genre-jumping normal, and it's from some combination of those elements that Cyrus will become a new Someone Else.
"[37] Scott Mervis of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette praised the show and Cyrus' vocals, calling it an "over-the-top dance-pop extravaganza with a wacky sense of humor, artful musical gestures and a big-voiced playful star who seemed thrilled to be there.
He further commented on the show's theme, writing, "It was an impressive pop-culture aggregation and the entire production was like a party scene from an over-serious 90s movie about a future dystopia...The thing about Miley Cyrus is that she's a genuinely beautiful woman unafraid of making herself look like a total goober: it's hard not to be charmed by that.
"[41] Blake Hannon provided a positive review, praising Cyrus' powerful vocal delivery and calling the show a "campy, cartoonishly over-the-top spectacle and musical showcase that was unforgettable... You can't help but admire (or scratch your head at) the girl's go-big-or-go-home approach.
"[42] Kevin C. Johnson of St. Louis Post-Dispatch provided a favorable review, praising Cyrus' "solid and consistent" vocal delivery and calling the show a "silly and entertaining spectacle.
[44][45][46] Regarding the decision to broadcast the special, NBC alternative programming president, Paul Telgedy stated that it was to "offer an exclusive peek on how Cyrus engages with her crew and fans.
"[47] The special scored extremely low ratings; with 2 million viewers and a 0.7 share of the 18-49 demographic, Miley Cyrus: Bangerz Tour was the lowest-rated program of the night, and was beaten by new episodes of Reckless and Unforgettable on CBS, as well as a new episode of Rising Star on ABC; reruns aired over the Independence Day weekend by CBS, ABC, and Fox also contributed to the extremely low ratings.
[52] On August 21, 2014, the Dominican Republic government commission that oversees public performances banned a September 13 concert in Santo Domingo on morality grounds.
"[59] Daniel Papalia of Forbes commented that the "country's ruling may contradict this 'Diplomacy in Action' piece published by the US Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor.