Lady Gaga kicked off the 'Good Morning America' summer concert series (and the Memorial Day holiday) bright and early this morning with a four-song set and an empowering, inspiring message.

It was a homecoming show of sorts, since Gaga grew up only five blocks away from Central Park. Her little monsters were lined up for hours in advance of the show -- some for two days -- and were ready to put their paws up once Gaga took the stage.

Mama Monster opened her set with 'Bad Romance,' arguably the hit that sent her career into the stratosphere. She didn't appear on stage for the first verse and was singing offstage, while male and female dancers in black skirts grooved in unison. Finally, she arrived on the studded, patent leather stage via an aerial hand tram, first gliding across the crowd before making her landing. Now that's how Gaga makes an entrance!

Gaga sported a white cloak and red and white head scarves, Cruella Deville style. She quickly removed her cloak to reveal a see-through red body suit before finishing the song. When the queen pop star sat down for an interview with Robin Roberts, thankfully, there were no Chris Brown-style outbursts!

"I live halfway between reality and theater at all times," she told viewers. "I was born this way." When asked about her outfit she lost track, spouting, "I love my fans, thank you for coming. They're my family for sure."

"'Born This Way' is about being yourself and loving who you are and being proud," Gaga, who had a small black heart drawn on her right cheek to match her elaborate eyeliner, said as a chorus of screams and cheers erupted. "There is no dream that's too big," she finished, encouraging her fans to follow their hearts.

"I never thought about that part of it," Gaga lamented about topping the Forbes Celebrity 100 list. "I thought about the music part and the instrument that I never learned how to play is my fans. They are the part of the story that no one teaches you. The word 'power' makes me uncomfortable. I want to do the right thing to be a voice with them and among them."

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She also addressed the epidemic of bullying and suggested that her young fans nurture those they witness being picked on, and sit with them in the cafeteria instead of shunning them.

That whole "Mother Monster" persona? That's not false; Gaga has a real maternal connection to the little monsters. She took fan questions and said that there is no request too bizarre when it's coming from her fans. When asked what she would do if she had one day off and could not be recognized, she said she would hang out with fans. And if she never got famous, she'd still be a singer, just not a famous one.

Gaga also spilled that she wears her Aunt Joanne's birth certificate as a necklace, and her grandfather's ring "every single day." She also joked about home-cooked meals not being a matter of choice in an Italian home; you eat what they serve you.

Then, she took the stage to perform a second song, 'Edge of Glory,' penned for her late grandfather. She wore leopard print body stocking and another elaborate vampire princess headpiece, as well as a black mask and a shiny patent leather jacket with spiked shoulders and arms. It was reminiscent of 'Transformers' in an odd, street punk, dominatrix couture and utterly Gaga kind of way. The monsters put their paws up when she asked, and they jumped when she commanded them to.

Her third performance was 'Judas, which was a theatrical, well-choreographed three minutes that had us bobbing our heads in our living room while we watched. 'Born This Way' was her fourth song of the set, and she donned a bold, gold jacket. She got into a see-through tub and engaged in a mud bath with her dancers as she cavorted in some sort of gray liquid. She improvised the song, but her husky voice carried across Central Park and resonated with every monster there -- and it was absolutely adorable to see young girls in the crowd singing the lyrics back to her.

Gaga closed her set by playing the new song 'Hair' on her unicorn shaped piano. She pulled out a blonde wig and threw it atop her head, saying her wigs make her feel she doesn't always have to be one person.

It would stand to reason that Gaga never sleeps, since she was in NYC promoting 'Born This Way' on Monday and the jetted off to L.A. on Wednesday to deliver a grand performance on the 'American Idol' season finale -- and was sound-checking on the 'GMA' stage in Central Park at 7 AM today.

It's going to be a long, hot summer of 'GMA' concerts, but even in the dog days of August, none will be hotter than Gaga's show.

Watch Lady Gaga on 'Good Morning America'

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