Showing posts with label tour. Show all posts
Showing posts with label tour. Show all posts
Rock Witchu Tour: ATL
Artist: Janet Jackson
Venue: Philips Arena
Date: 10.19.08
On a nice cool October evening in
Considering a catalog of 10 studio albums, it was amazingly impressive that she was able to perform hits from each one, totaling 37 songs and giving fans rush after rush as they screamed lyrics to the tops of their lungs and affectionately formed Janet’s signature “heart” symbol with their hands. “I was 15…” Janet confesses as the music switches from one of her first-ever singles Young Love into the fan favorite Say You Do from her self-titled debut, which preceded the Control album. The hits came non-stop, and were accompanied by acrobatic dance moves, and action from all areas of Janet’s trendsetting catwalk stage. Fans in the arena knew every word to every song, and most new at least a few dance moves, especially the infamous breakdown to If. Miss Jackson’s live vocals soared with emotion and elegance during her ballad section featuring Come Back To Me and Never Gonna Letchu Go from her latest project, among other classics. Shouts to Derrick, the lucky guy who was featured on Discipline, despite a few issues in the contraption and losing his glasses in Janet’s boobs! My personal favorite song was performed in full, Doesn’t Really Matter complete with the dance breakdown. I found (while talking with them) that the dancers all love the All For You routine which switches between doubled-off and individual routines to synchronized movements in an instant.
When it comes to dancing, who does it better than the queen? As her personal assistant told us on the exclusive backstage tour, each dancer is at the top in their field. Shouts to Gil Duldulao (a really cool down-to-earth guy to meet!), Cassidy, Teddy, Nick, Jillian, EMO!, Laurel and all the other dancers I met on the backstage tour! That headspin = off the chain!! Also shouts to Joey and Tommy who were also really cool members of Janet’s personal security, and Lil Jon Roberts (amazing drummer and great guy to meet also!). Also, a special shout to the tour manager Flo, she was really nice and started working for Janet straight out of college, she has an impressive resume!
The thing that’s most admirable about Janet, the kids and her band (which includes Lil Jon on drums!!) is something that I haven’t seen in any other stage show, even the ones that imitate hers: its effortless appearance. Not to discredit the large amounts of work that go into a production so huge, but they have a visible connection that shines onstage, making each night of the show look like total fun! It doesn’t even look like they’re working onstage and that says something about the caliber of the artist and the character of her team. There is laughter, moments of interaction, improvisations, but what tops it all is the display of family unity, in their moves and their eyes.
There aren’t many artists who can perform a show that’s over 2 hours long, either for fatigue or lack of content. It’s an amazing thing to see an icon in her element, totally at home on the stage and loving every moment of it. There’s a reason she’s as great as she is, and it is shown on every night of the Rock Witchu tour. Since my last Janet show seven years ago on the All For You tour, I have been to over 50 different concerts by different artists and I have yet to see an artist reach her caliber in performances. Forget the Ringling Brothers folks, this here is truly the greatest show on earth!
Related Posts:
Rock Witchu Tour: DC Show Review
Twisted Elegance: A Look at 'Discipline'
All Janet-Related Posts
-Mack-
P.S. A very very special shout to Josh and Yen who were sitting next to me, and all the fanclub members I got to meet, you guys are the best: enjoythevision, thicksational, Cas, thatdarrell, gdm, mkozik and if I forgot you, please hit me up so I can add your name in, I already know I forgot a few of you. Much LUV!
Two Icons: One Tour
Artists: Janet Jackson and LL Cool J
Event: Rock Witchu Tour
Ladies and gentleman, the concert event of the year kicks off in 9 days in Vancouver, BC. On yesterday, Jermaine Dupri posted a video to his Youtube channel from behind the scenes at rehearsals for Janet's upcoming tour. During this video, Janet revealed (at last!) the opening act for her show. LL Cool J is an icon in hip-hop and Janet is the pop icon for generations to follow. Both on one stage?!?! CRAZY. Got your tickets yet? Check the video here...
Event: Rock Witchu Tour
Ladies and gentleman, the concert event of the year kicks off in 9 days in Vancouver, BC. On yesterday, Jermaine Dupri posted a video to his Youtube channel from behind the scenes at rehearsals for Janet's upcoming tour. During this video, Janet revealed (at last!) the opening act for her show. LL Cool J is an icon in hip-hop and Janet is the pop icon for generations to follow. Both on one stage?!?! CRAZY. Got your tickets yet? Check the video here...
-Mack-
The Queen Is Back In Control...
Aight ya'll... I tried to hold out as long as I possibly could on this... Those of you who know me are probably shocked it took me this long to post this. So just to answer any and all questions:
- Yes I am going.
- Yes I am getting a VIP package.
- Yes all the Sound-Savvy readers will get the scoop
Here's a hint: She's one of the only artists to sellout on her debut tour, which she headlined. Keep in mind that her debut tour came after only her second album, and still holds the record for the HIGHEST SELLING DEBUT TOUR IN HISTORY. If you STILL don't know who I'm talking about... 
Yes, Janet (Ms. Jackson cuz I'm nasty!) is taking control and once again embarking on another world tour! The Rock Witchu World Tour 2008 kicks off on September 10th 2008 in Vancouver, British Columbia. All the dates have not yet been announced, but she's expected to hit all major cities in the US and some that she probably hasn't been too yet. They might as well put the seats away because you won't want to sit down, Janet will rock you out of your seat! Get ready for over 2 hours of explosive stunts, wildly animated theatrics, the world's best dance crew, and the beautiful Janet Jackson. As a fan that went to her 2001 All For You World Tour, trust me, you DO NOT want to miss this. Get the point? Good... let's dance...-MackN2U-
The Brightest Star In The Universe
''We need the brightest star in the universe — you, Kanye! Only you can bring us home. You can glow in the dark!'' – Jane
Concert Review of 'The Glow In The Dark' Tour
Location: Time Warner Cable Arena, Charlotte, NC
Date: 5.8.08
Concert Review of 'The Glow In The Dark' Tour
Location: Time Warner Cable Arena, Charlotte, NC
Date: 5.8.08
I’ve never been a huge fan of hip-hop concerts. I mean, I’ve been to my share, but there’s usually nothing really exciting: 16 different guys on stage during one guy’s set and unless you’re in-the-know, you’re probably guessing which one is the actual performer. Beyond that, hip-hop shows in the past (with a few exceptions) have proven to lack the one thing that sells out shows – artistry. The Glow in the Dark Tour, however, challenged that theory: 4 performers, one stage, and thousands of fans. The highlight of the night, Mr. Kanye West, delivered an astounding performance, and while he didn’t make me a fan of hip-hop shows, he definitely made me a fan of the Kanye West show…
Opening the show was Lupe Fiasco. Now when the intro music was cued, I didn’t know whether to expect the cool young Lu, or a half-dressed Spartan named Leonidas. The theme music from 300 melted away for Fiasco’s triumphant entrance, and an energetic performance of The Coolest. With the same swag, he took us to
Next on the bill were the brothers of N.E.R.D. Let me preface this: I don’t own any N.E.R.D. albums, nor have I listened to any in their entirety. However, those brothers can ROCK!! They performed the better known hits Lapdance, and She Wants To Move. Apparently, I was in the minority, as the rest of the crowd sang along to Brain, and some song that asks “Are you ADHD?” Ummmm.… yeah, okay. Only downside was that you couldn’t hear a word they were saying. I know they’re a rock band, but it helps when people can actually hear you along with the music. Try a sound check next time fellas. But hey that on-stage crumping cameo from Chris Brown at least made their new joint Spaz more enjoyable and memorable.
Speaking of Chris Breezy, let’s move on to his woman: the beautiful Rihanna. With her initial engulfed in flashing lights, Rihanna emerges in a neon trimmed, form-fitting outfit to kick off with Breakin’ Dishes, from her latest album Good Girl Gone Bad. She moved the entire arena with some of her previous hits including S.O.S. and Pon De Replay. Ri-ri proved herself to be more than just a studio singer as she belted out her ballads Unfaithful, and a solo rendition of Hate That I Love You. Her set closed with her best smash to date, Umbrella, which indeed led the entire arena to their feet, chanting along every word and every ”ella ella eh eh”. Overall, her performance was great, much better than I expected. Oh, and for the record: I’m officially hating on Chris Brown, this girl is amazingly beautiful.
Harder, better, faster…STRONGER. The guy sitting next to me wondered aloud as to why this show is called the Glow In The Dark Tour. By the end of the night, we all knew the answer – Kanye sets the place on FIRE!!! I’ll try not to spoil too much of this for you but if you’re planning to see the show, stop reading now. He was like a kid onstage living strictly within his own imagination. He performed for 90 minutes straight, with barely any breaks in between. From his elaborate futuristic theme and introduction to his Homecoming ending, Kan-the-Louis-Vuitton-Don kept the entire crowd on their feet. There’s no way you couldn’t feel the energy emanating from Kanye, he was like a supernova on stage! After his talking spaceship crash lands, Mr. West finds himself on a quest to virtually ROCK his way home. Along the way, he took the audience Through The Wire, introduced us to The Good Life, and taught us all how to Touch The Sky with the help of Lupe Fiasco. On Diamonds From Sierra Leone, the audience created a sea of diamonds, as everyone in the place threw up the dynasty sign. He touched hearts and minds with his performances of Jesus Walks and Hey Mama, and you could feel the tears and sadness in Kanye’s voice. The energy reached a max as West moved erratically while performing Stronger bringing the crowd to an ultimate high. As he closed, he reminded the audience that yes, he’s got a big mouth and a big ego. In fact, his ego is so big, there wasn’t room for his background singers or band on stage, they were all down front! You can’t tell him nothing; but I guess when you’re at the top of the charts and selling out arenas, you can do that! After an amazing show like that, he’s bound to set the world on fire, and have us all glowing in the dark.
-MackN2U-Heart of the City in Chocolate City!
Best of Both Worlds: THE UPGRADE
Concert Review of 'The Heart of The City Tour'
Location: Verizon Center, Washington, DC
Date: 4.6.08
Concert Review of 'The Heart of The City Tour'
Location: Verizon Center, Washington, DC
Date: 4.6.08
If you missed this, count your losses! There aren't enough postings on youtube to capture this once in a lifetime experience. Folks might argue once you've seen one Jigga or Mary performance, you've seen them all, but clearly nothing tops this. What do you get when you add two artists at the top of their career & one sold out venue?? PURE MAGIC!!! They each have enough chart topping hits to entertain without any ounce of a complaint from their fans. Not to mention the wasted time of an opening act, which by the way, SUCKED! No offense to those who enjoyed hearing Mr. American Dream sound like a cat on its death bed, but, the only shining moment to his alloted ten minutes were the retro Jordan IX's.
The minutes leading up to the main event seemed like an eternity. Fans chanting each artists' names respectively in anticipation of who was to perform first. HOUSE LIGHTS OUT! The mini convo between Mary & Jay-Z explaining Heart of the City captures everyones attention, then the countdown begins; 5,4,3,2,1! Enter the guests of honor of the evening performing Can't Knock the Hustle. The first of many crowd pleasing hits.
Many kudos goes out to the production team responsible for the lighting, pyro techniques, and each back-drop, helping to make the experience memorable. Mary's solo performance took us back down memory lane, with hits like Real Love, Reminisce, Sweet Thing, just to name a few, before bringing us to present day with Just Fine & Stay Down. She performed with much intensity & heart, bringing the fans to their feet in applause.
Mr. Carter knows how to bring 'em out. He emptied the entire clip without having to re-load. Throw ya diamonds in the sky! His swagger was on overload, and he knew it. Fans chanting the lyrics to not one, but ALL his songs. Letting the cat out the bag with with hits from Reasonable Doubt, Blueprint & the Black Album, Hov took us on one up& down rollercoaster ride with many unexpected turns. My highlight of the night was Money over bitches...FUCK BUSH. There were so many hype moments, but not enough time nor space to highlight them all, however, they closed the show with You're All Welcome, a song, dedicated to their fans. No matter where you sat, or how much money you paid for your ticket, the show was well worth it. Lets hope Heart of the City makes it to your nearest Circuit City or Best Buy as a collectors item for many years to come, because it definately was an UPGRADE to Best of Both Worlds.
-Mello-
